Attack on titan 2: Another way
by Wall Maria's time master
Summary: Through time, a story's details can become lost. From its conflict to its conclusion. But when a story reaches the point its hero holds no name, no details are certain. The ending lost to time, forever ambiguous and unknown... at least until now. AOT2/ Attack On Titan 2 alternative ending. Sasha X OC.
1. Chapter 1

Attack on Titan: Another way

 **A/N: Just to clarify, this is an alternate ending to the video game 'Attack on Titan 2', if you haven't played it you should definitely try it. It's just a different way the story could have played out. This will be my last piece of work until June, and if this goes well I may expand this to a two-shot or series.**

Once again, he found himself back in that same place.

No matter how hard he tried, how hard the soldier fought, Titans would always end up towering over him. Never the other way around. Ever since he'd first watched the Armoured Titan end his peace with one great charge, he vowed revenge and swore to never be that powerless again. In the end, he broke his own promise. The Armoured Titan was just lying there, powerless and weak. The armor surrounding its flesh was cracked and ready to shatter. He was given a chance, that bastard could have died right there and then from his own blades. But instead he chose to turn away, and minutes later it was him that lay powerless, dead weight at a Titan's feet. No spare blades left in his scabbard, with one of his precious hooks broken and no way out for him in sight.

But even at that moment, when his life started flashing before his eyes, he still refused to give up and yield to the monsters of humanity. He decided that if his life was going to end that day, then he would go out doing the craziest thing yet. One last effort that would determine how he would lose his life that day.

He slashed at a reaching titan's fingers, while the images still formed in his mind for his final act. Then he placed his useless right sword in his hand, the edge of the blade pointing straight to the ground. He then plunged it deep into the earth's surface, afterward draping his torn and bloodied Survey Corps cloak over it. Said blood most likely his, from the lack of steam and the burning pain of what was most likely cracked ribs from his fall earlier.

Then, he turned his head and last remaining sword towards the grinning abominations staring straight at him, an emotionless look in their eyes. But still, he stared, a strong determination of steel and will of iron giving the soldier courage and strength.

And finally, he raised his blade and pressed the stiff trigger inwards, firing his last hook straight into the Titan's mouth, before latching onto the back of its fleshy throat. In one fluid motion, he jumped in place, retracting the gears line before surging straight towards the jaws of death with a face of rage and eyes holding strong on his target. The nape. In what he believed were his last moments, the scout strived to be the first human to eliminate a Titan from within.

He felt the wind in his hair and listened to the hissing of the tank's gas, readying his blade for one final great slash, only to hear his blade shatter into pieces behind him. Turning his head back, he looked towards the sound only to see the pieces falling to the ground before the view was blocked by the Titan's teeth closing, sealing his fate and life away. He'd tried to use a rotating slash, one like the corporals. Only for the blade to shatter after colliding with the monster's teeth.

All he could do was watch as the Titan shut its meal away, and tried to swallow him whole like a pill. The Scout tried to stay in place with all his might but was soon swallowed into the belly of the beast, the hook dislodged from its throat while his hopes and dreams sank along with him. He continued to fall down, eventually reaching the monster's disgusting stomach. He shot out his hook into the stomach lining and hoisted himself up. At first, relieved to have survived, but the sight that greeted him was too grim to relive.

To start with the smell was horrific, unlike anything else he'd smelt before. But then the soldier's eyes came into play, and what he saw that day reminded him how cruel his world could be. What he saw were disfigured and bleeding bodies, of soldiers, of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. All devoured to feed a cruel hunger for death and misery. Some missing arms, some missing legs and there were even those who'd been decapitated entering the monster's mouth. They weren't as lucky as him, that's if you could call his situation that.

Everything he gazed upon gave the scout urges to scream, shout or cry. But he restrained his vocal chords and emotions, realizing that any sound he made would easily become his last. The Survey Corps had never known if Titans were willing to tear each other apart to reach humans. So the less noise he made, the better.

Realising all the circumstances he now faced, the young soldier valued all his options. He couldn't try and climb back up the throat, he'd get swallowed before even reaching the uvula. And trying the... other way out wouldn't work. If the stomach acid didn't dissolve him into bones first, then he'd reach the bottom only to find it most likely sealed, as Titans couldn't defecate. This left him truly stuck, with no way out. Trapped. Within the very monster, he swore to destroy. Though in reality, his 'host' was the only thing between him and the monsters lurking nearby.

There was no other option... but to simply wait. If the corp eventually found him, then he'd be able to finally escape out the monster's mouth without being swallowed back down. Neither his Titan host or the others guaranteed to be waiting outside would be able to harm him anymore.

And so he waited there, and waited, and waited. Suspended from the monster's stomach lining by one slender hook for what felt like days. But when he felt the titan stop moving the scout realized that it had become night, or rather it'd been night-time long enough at least for his 'host' to run out of energy and be forced to stop moving from exhaustion. He briefly considered climbing back up its throat when there was no chance of it fighting back and to use the night's opportunity to run away.

He soon dismissed the idea though, realizing that in the pitch black of night he'd become lost in the darkness without a torch. He also realized that without most of his gas and with one of his blades missing, he'd be defenseless against Titans. There was also the issue of those Titans he'd seen from Utgard castle, as they could move around in the darkness. What's to say that the other monsters out there couldn't?

Realizing he was still left with no options, the once-courageous fighter settled down in a scared and vulnerable state for what would be a night of uneasy and uncomfortable sleep suspended from his last remaining hook.

* * *

There was no way. Absolutely no way that he could have survived, they all knew it deep in their hearts. And Sasha knew it too, but she just couldn't believe he was really gone. Just like that. No goodbye's, no final words. He'd just placed his journal within Eren's hand and flew straight into the jaws of death. That took undeniable courage, and no-one wanted to believe that was really the end of him. He was one of the Survey Corps best, though not carrying much experience he made up for it in skill. No-one wanted him to be gone. But it didn't stop the reality of the situation, no matter how hard Sasha tried to build a wall between her and the memories and doubts, the monstrous nightmares that plagued her sleep would just knock it back down.

They were always the same, her lost friend flying straight into the Titan's horde, before being plucked out the air. The Titans grips like vices. And she was forced to watch as they devoured him before her eyes. No matter how hard Sasha tried, that image wouldn't leave her head. The sleepless nights and ruptured slumber drenched in a sheen of cold sweat saw to that. But taking into account all that she'd endured over the last few days, and all they'd achieved despite being without him, she knew it was time to move on. The world was changing drastically, and she needed to change along with it.

Sasha knew she needed to forget her fallen friend. But couldn't find it within her.

Even after Corporal Levi had given her the 'don't let his sacrifice be for naught' pep talk, she still was unsure. They all were, still tossing and turning during the night trying to forget the cry he'd given out of earshot, which they all assumed would be the last they'd hear of their friend. And in one moment, late into a cold and nightmare-fuelled sleep, Sasha had woken up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath and on the urge of crying. She covered her mouth, intent on not waking her sleeping comrade in the lower bunk.

But a few minutes later, she heard the ladder for her bunk creak as someone climbed up. She looked down her bed to see Mikasa at the top of the ladder, dressed in her nightwear still wearing her scarf.

 _"Mikasa?"_ she whispered to the raven-haired girl.

 _"I heard you wake up, are you feeling ok?"_ She asked the red-head, hoisting herself up so she was sitting on the beds' edge with her legs dangling over the edge.

 _"Not really._ " She said, raising her sleeve to her eyes before wiping the tears starting to form. _"Could we just talk? It would help."_

 _"Sure."_ Mikasa replied, moving herself to sit opposite her friend.

 _"Would it be ok if I asked you something personal?"_ Sasha asked.

 _"Sure."_

 _"If you lost Eren... What would you do in that position?"_ She asked, resulting in Mikasa taking a guarded expression.

 _"Honestly?"_

 _"Honestly."_ Mikasa sighed outwards, before telling Sasha her answer.

 _"I was in that position when we heard from Armin that Eren had died along with the rest of squad 34, then I lost hope. When all of us charged for HQ, I was just trying to distract myself from grief. On the way, my gear went dry from my bad maneuvers. At that moment I almost refused to fight, even when a 15 meter Titan reached out towards me."_

 _"Then how did you survive?"_ Sasha asked curiously.

 _"Eren."_

 _"Oh yeah, now I remember,"_ Sasha said, as she lightly facepalmed herself. _"He showed up as a Titan and saved you. We all heard."_

" _Not exactly."_

 _"What do you-"_

 _"What I mean,"_ Mikasa said interrupting _"Is he's the reason I stopped giving up."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"My memories of him."_ She replied with a small smile. _"If I'd died my memories of him would have died with me."_

 _"Oh, now I get it."_

 _"I can guess why you're_ asking. _"_ Mikasa said, causing Sasha to nod in return.

 _"You probably can, it's not exactly hard to guess."_ She said, giving a sad smile. _"I miss him. Everything about him. How he used to shoot off against Titans, with his hair flowing in battle and the times we went together on hunting trips. You know he saved my life once?"_ The girl said to her friend, who lightly shook her head in return. _"I was fighting in my village during the Rose attack, he helped save me and a little girl. But now... I'll never get to repay him."_ Sasha whimpered, not bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes. _"I can't believe he just... left. Without a word. Why didn't he at least say something to us?"_

 _"There was probably nothing to say."_

 _"There was plenty to say!"_ She replied louder now, the tears starting to flow down her cheeks. " _He could have said goodbye! Or good luck! Or hell, he could have even said 'I love you' anything except just leaving without a word!"_ She nearly shouted out, at that point having moved to cry on her knees, her face buried within them. Mikasa then moved down the bed to her side and lightly wrapped her arms around the crying girl. Sasha continued to cry out, while her friend gently stroked her hair. _"Why? Why did he have to die?"_ The redhead cried out.

 _"I don't know."_ Her friend said in return. _"But what I do know,"_ Mikasa said, bringing Sasha up to face her _"is that if he were here, he'd tell you to move on. Live your life."_ The girl said before the potato girl lowered her eyes back to her own knees to continue crying.

And following that moment, Sasha cried for another ten minutes before going back to sleep. Come morning, through her red eyes she looked out towards the outer wall beyond her view and decided to continue living, just like he'd want her to. She knew that after the morning's operation to reclaim a supply base she'd be able to think more. About her past actions, her present state, and what the future would hold.

But she couldn't help but wonder, where would he be right now? She knew he was dead, but did he accept his fate? Or die fighting?

She originally thought there was no way of knowing. But even fate seems to pick its favorites.

* * *

The cadet knew, that his time was almost up.

It had been a week, probably longer at that point. The lack of sunlight prevented him from fully knowing the passing of time. But however long his confinement had lasted, it was slowly driving him towards death and insanity. The last of his flask's water had long since run out, and he'd gone without any kind food for too long. In desperation, he'd tried slicing off a piece of Titan flesh and devouring it. Give it a taste of its own medicine. But that was his worst decision since entering the Titan's stomach, the meat tasted vile like poison, and scorched his mouth and tongue, requiring him to consume more of his precious water.

And since then, he kept growing more and more hungry. Wishing for food, even a few crumbs. But still, the hole in his stomach and stamina continued to grow. To the point, he could barely stay awake. Causing him to go in and out of sleep, only causing more confusion to his body's natural systems. It was now, that he struggled to deal with anything. The strain from his belts, the growling of his stomach and the dryness of his tongue that could rival a barren desert.

But the smell was easily the worst. His clothes stank, his body stank, and the pungent smell of corpses had only grown more foul as time slowly started to decay the bodies. To the point where it drove him mad, wanting to slice off his nose with his last blade; though now was little more than a glorified dagger.

He'd considered just giving up. But before he could detach his line and plunge deep into the monster's depths, effectively ending his life, he instead thought back to his comrades. No, they were more than that. To his friends. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, Historia, Hanji, Erwin, and Levi. And of course, one that stuck to his mind was Sasha. All his memories of her started to flood back; the hunting trips, her country accent and even the raids on the officer's pantry. He'd give up everything he had, though not much, just to spend one more day like those.

Though now, chances of that were looking thin. He felt like blacking out every second and feared his next sleep could be his last. And in response, he fought with his fatigue to try and stay awake. Thinking of anything and everything to keep his mind working. His revenge on Reiner and Bertholt, his time in the scout regiment. Going on for so long, he worked down to the most obscure of memories, like Jean's mother and Hanji's experiments. And he knew the situation was desperate if he was remembering those time-consuming sessions.

He was just remembering a particular lecture from Levi, something along the lines of cleaning and responsibility before he heard a sudden sound pierce through the silence of his situation. He wasn't even given the chance to question its nature before he felt the giant concealing him start to fall. He detached his cable from the stomach lining before falling towards the Titan's throat. The angle of the falling monster resulted in him falling straight into the monster's mouth through the jaw. He breathed in a lungful of air, his breath knocked out from the impact.

He stood, which resulted in every muscle in his body screaming from exhaustion and fatigue. It took monstrous effort, to the point where he was sweating and breathing heavily when he reached his feet. Using every last ounce of strength, the soldier started to move towards the teeth barricading him in. He looked behind him to see his hook trailing behind him. His gas had depleted halfway through retracting the hook. Highlighting how screwed he would have been, if not for staying put.

He soon reached the jaws. However, due to the beast having fallen onto its side, was now angled sideways requiring him to pull them apart like a set of double doors. He squeezed his hands through the small gap, cutting himself on its teeth, and tried to push them apart. But his bodies weak and useless state left him too weak to push the jaws apart. He used all his might but still wouldn't budge. His desperation turned to rage, he wouldn't let himself die then! He'd survived being swallowed, after losing the last of his gas getting within the Titan's stomach. A few teeth would not stand between him and freedom.

 _"Hey guys, come quick! There's someone inside this thing!"_ He heard a voice sound, had he the energy he'd try to recognize it from memory, but was too weak and too focused to care.

 _"Hurry! Get them out of there!"_ He heard another voice say, feminine this time. Before he could even consider ignoring it, a second set of hands emerged from the other side to push the two jaws apart. Another set of hands soon pushed through. And another. And another. And another. To the point, he couldn't count the number of hands pulling. He instead joined them, continuing to widen the gap and escape.

He eventually pushed out, falling to his knees and gasping for fresh air. The soldier tried to look up towards his saviors, before realizing that his hood had fallen and obscured his view. He was too weak to lift it back up, or even utter a word. All he could do was try not to black out.

Yet, he saw his hood lift exposing him to the light of day. And his eyes burnt from the scorching suns hot rays before his perspective finally adjusted. His eyes soon opened wide when several figures came into focus. First, their jackets and cloaks came into view before a set of white and blue wings took center stage. It took him a moment, but he soon realized who he was looking upon.

At that moment, he gazed upon his comrades standing right before him. Their green hoods flowing in the wind, some with tears starting to line their eyes. He slowly recognized their faces. Eren... Jean... Sasha... They were all there. And when he looked upon them all, he finally knew things would turn out ok.

And all he could do was smile, as he fell into a fatigue-induced sleep.

 **A/N: Well, that's how it could have been. Seeing the original ending for the first time I couldn't help but wonder if that was really the end of 'our man', as I did see his right sword detached from his gear, though his left one was mostly intact. And it did look like Sasha had a thing for him/her. I may expand this further come June, but I'll give a warning in advance there will be spoilers for season 3/4.  
Wish you all the best, see you next update.**


	2. Chapter 2

Attack on Titan: Another way chapter two

 **A/N: I'm currently all set to continue on with this series, with the story being worked out and our scene set.  
Now it's just a case of writing it! This should last at least 30+ chapters, which will be regularly made and updated as a part of the schedule. And I hope you don't mind, but I've given 'our man' his name back. But if it doesn't sound right then feel free to just ignore it.  
Hope you enjoy this chapter, see you all on the flipside.  
**

 **Also, a special thanks to Writer with bad grammar for helping with this story's plot.**

 _"It only takes an instant_ to _die outside the walls."_ The young soldier heard a voice state softly, though was feeling unsure about whether or not anything was real anymore. After presumably passing out, he could feel and see absolutely nothing. Time became lost to him, like sitting in an empty void for what felt like an eternity. But at that moment a strangers voice had captured all of his attention.

 _"Are you listening to me, Lucius?"_ He heard the voice call out again, though now it retained an element almost unfamiliar to him, one he once believed lost. A thousand memories soon emerged, all attached to that single voice, you could almost call it insane. But considering exactly whose distinct words he was hearing, it would make sense for those memories to flood in.

For the voice running through his mind, was that of his father. _"The trick is to never reach that instant."_ At first, the soldier considered the thought of him being alive. However, as the long-dead man's words continued to flow the scout soon recognized the words and conversation, realizing that it was just a simple memory. One of his late father's last conversations with him prior to the breach of Maria.

It was one of his last moments of peace before it was ruptured along with the rest of Shiganshina's population.

 _"Most people think accidents and tragedies happen without any kind of warning."_ His father continued on, his warm and soft voice filling the soldier with an almost alien feel of happiness. _"Everyday folk think they explode in a frenzy. Bam! Like a cannon. But if you look more closely at the details, what do you start to see?"_

 _"A fuse..."_ He thought weakly, remembering the wise words once uttered from the lips of his maker. It was a lesson that soon proved true joining the survey corps, involving more unfortunate accidents and fuses lit than he could care to count.

 _"The trick is to never reach that instant."_ All at once, Lucius finally remembered how what was almost his final mistake had begun, to what felt like an eternity ago. A hard-fought and bloody battle, when the final fuse was sparked.

* * *

Lucius ran through the grey cobbled streets, not paying attention to anyone or anything nearby or in his way. The sights, the smells, they held no significance in his mind. All of it was simply ignorable, except for the clanging bells ringing in his ears.

He'd hear their ring every time the corps left to reclaim territory beyond the wall, and every time they returned. But now that bell held a very different meaning altogether, one he knew all too well. It meant that wall Sina, the last line of defense for humanity, would soon fall under attack.

Everyone was running, the civilians and merchants towards the gate for evacuation behind the walls. To the last safe place for humanity, following their simple fates of trapped birds in a cage. Though Lucius knew he'd never resign himself to such an undignified existence.

He is a soldier, a strong fighter for both the corps and all of Humanity. Defender to all of his kind and what was left of its territory.

With that statement in mind, he finally ran straight into the R&D department now panting to collect his gear, but to his dismay, it was simply lying on the cold hard floor. Earlier that day he'd left it there for an urgent repair, but it seemed no-one had even bothered to remove it from the floor. The scout was forced to discard his concerns and instead focused his mind on replacing its canisters and blades ready for the coming assault. Taking special care with the nozzles to ensure no excess gas would be lost in combat, as he knew every movement he'd come to make would hold more significance than any before.

Lucius was just finishing with the straps on the scabbards, securing them to his waist when Sasha ran in like a bat out of hell, gear half on half off and to no-one's surprise was clutching a half-eaten fresh potato, most likely 'liberated' from the storeroom.

 _"Lucius, are you ready to go yet?"_ She said frantically, running towards the blade and gas supply stations.

 _"Just strapping up. And... I'm... gone!"_ He responded as he tightened his final straps and ran straight towards the door.

 _"Wait! Your gear!"_ Sasha called after him while placing the blades in her scabbard.

 _"What about it?"_ He asked her, stopping by the doorway that separated him from solitude and certain death.

 _"You said it needed fixing last mission!"_ She says with a concerned and worried look in her eyes.

 _"Yeah I know, but this will have to do!"_ He said running through the doorway discarding Sasha's protests before stepping out into the glaring sunlight. In response, the scout raised his hand to block the rays of light. Had fate changed its course and given the world a fleeting chance of peace, Lucius would probably have spent his time basking in the warmth of the day. But there would be no chance for that.

Because that day would be guaranteed to go down in history as when humanity would stand its ground against the Titans. Once and for all, for what in their minds could be the last time if they were to fail.

With that single thought in mind, among so many other worries and concerns, Lucius continued to run towards the stables ready to fight. And within minutes was saddled up on his ready steed, fully prepared for combat against the monsters lurking beyond their walls. Placing the hilts in their rightful position tucked under his arms, and draping the survey corps cloak over his shoulders and head, the now-ready soldier signaled his horse to gallop out to the fight, knowing within his heart that he had the resolve and skills to carry out the will of humanity.

But even with that, along with his fellow comrades, available resources and so much at stake, he couldn't shake the feeling as he rode that the coming battle could soon become his last. He'd seen soldiers fall in battle so many times, rookies and veterans alike had died more often then he cared to observe. Every fight they faced had the potential to end him, and everyone he knew or cared about. These horrifying fears and worries caused Lucius' mind to run in constant circles, running through thousands of horrifying worst-case scenarios.

His gear could break apart, some of his friends could die at a Titans' hand, wall Sina could fall to the Titans, Reiner could kill and devour Eren. So many things could go wrong, meaning that the soldier couldn't even come close to predicting his fate. Or anyone else's for that matter. Meaning that all guesses and theories would soon become pointless, doing nothing but drive him insane. In response the soldier pushed those concerns to the back of his mind, instead focusing on the open gate directly before him, riding through the exit to hell on earth.

Lucius continued to ride until coming to a small clearing. He looked at the soldiers within the group before recognizing several of his friends. Sasha, Connie, and others were standing together looking out beyond the walls protecting the majority of humanity. He stopped his horse and tied the leather reigns tightly around one of the several posts before walking over to his comrades waiting on standby. Ready for what would surely become the battle of the century.

* * *

Half an hour later the scout spotted the coming horde. Full of hulking Titans, with horrifying grins that could petrify any human being. Some stood at a mere three meters, while others towered to an astounding fifteen. And in the center of them all, the beast Titan lumbered slowly towards them, that hairy behemoth was responsible for so many souls lost. By the end of the day, Lucius knew it would definitely become responsible for so many more.

He retracted his gear's hooks, landing on the ground beside his readying brothers in arms. Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha. Some of his dearest friends, almost like family to Lucius. The scout couldn't even begin to imagine a world without them. Though considering the bloody struggle that lay before them, it would take more than just one soldiers' wishful thinking to bring them all home.

 _"How many are we looking at? Actually, forget I asked."_ Jean asked, but soon withdrew, fearful of the resulting answer.

 _"Are we really going to be on the front lines?"_ Sasha inquired, a look of fear plastered on her face like a painting.

 _"How are we supposed to take on that many Titans?"_ Connie asked rhetorically, the melancholy tone prompting Lucius to walk towards him and gently pat his forehead. The strange display prompted his comrade to show a look of confusion towards the scout.

 _"We don't have a choice. If they breach us here, it's the end."_ Armin said grimly, his fellow comrades knowing he was far from wrong. If the Titans were to breach Sina, there would be nowhere left for them to run. Humanity would be forced into climbing the remnants of the walls. Even then, it would be far from a dignified existence. Food would be hard to come by, water even more so. And to run out of gas would leave you stranded.

But even being trapped upon the walls would soon result in all of the humans behind the wall soon perishing. No, the coming fight would either be known as Humanity's greatest stand or its final fall.

 _"Atteeen-TION!"_ A voice shouted, turning everyone's heads around. When their eyes fell upon the source of the sound, Dot Pyxis, years of military training and discipline took over bringing them to attention. Ready to hear the Commanders words of wisdom.

 _"We're about to engage the Titans in direct combat!"_ Pyxis began, everyone before him standing ready for said battle. _"If wall Sina falls... it will spell the end of humanity as we know it! So there's only one option here! We fight to our last breaths! For our fellow man. For the ones we love... Troops, give it everything you've got! Dedicate your hearts!"_ He shouted, bringing his fist to rest upon his heart. The ones before him followed, bringing it to their chests with more force and determination than ever before. Realizing now would be the catalyst for humanity's future within the walls.

The soldiers then became a frenzy, running to their positions in the defense. Some used ODM, others rode on horses. But Lucius' mind was set on something else entirely, as he made his way towards Sasha with words in his mind that were clawing out towards her.

 _"Sasha?"_ The young soldier called out to her.

 _"Yes?"_ She responded, looking towards him.

 _"I need you to promise me something."_ The young man stated, and while this sounded more like a demand to others was for him a desperate plea.

 _"What?"_

 _"Promise me... You won't die today."_ Lucius said, staring into her eyes with a deadly seriousness making Sasha's hairs on her neck stand on end.

 _"Come on, you know I won't die!"_ She replied, a small smile on her face. However, her friend maintained his stoic expression.

 _"Sasha, you don't understand. You're... important to me."_ The soldier said, hesitating slightly. _"If I were to lose you, it would hurt me. A lot."_

" _Don't worry."_ The potato girl responded, before wrapping her arms around Lucius in a warm embrace. _"I'm not leaving anytime soon. But you need to promise that we stick together, help keep each other safe."_ She says, nuzzling her face against the scout's chest.

 _"I... I promise."_ He says, returning the embrace. He wraps her arms around her shoulders, for what in his mind could be the last time. They stay like that for what could have been an eternity, both knowing they were more than typical friends. Lucius had always known he had feelings for her, but couldn't bring himself to tell her. What if she felt differently? Or liked someone else? One wrong confession could end their friendship forever. And that was one of the worst things imaginable. Before he could ponder it anymore, they were both forced out of their embrace by a shout from a superior officer.

It almost seemed like fate was destined to keep them apart, Lucius was to lead a defense squad to guard the frontier bases against attack. While Sasha was stationed with Armin's squad to organize the regiments. This gave them little to no chance of meeting, by chance or design. They said their farewells hoping in their hearts that it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other alive. With that, Lucius set off to join his squad and began the final stand.

* * *

At last, the base was finally finished. Lucius and his now smaller squad had been fighting for a good half hour, losing two of the five soldier squad to the Titans. One had fallen to an abnormal able to lunge faster than he could react, and another from a shallow slash, resulting in her flying past the nape and soon swallowed by the monster she'd failed to kill. And after assisting a wounded MP to construct a base they were feeling exhausted. Kill after kill and not even a dent in the coming horde. The scout was just considering the squads' next move when a green flare shot up right towards the deep blue sky, contrasting against its bright azure glow. In response, he pulled the swords from their scabbards and was soon soaring through the air to its position.

Upon arriving at the signal three things soon became apparent; The local base was nearing destruction, abnormals were bearing down on the remnants of a squad, and said squad was partially comprised of his trusted comrades. With nerves of steel and a soul of platinum, Lucius thrust himself towards the monsters bearing down upon his friends just in time to stop a Titan gripping on one of his closest and well-known comrades like a vice. He thrust himself down on the monster's neck, taking a chunk of its nape with it. Furthermore, using the motion of his descent, the scout pivoted around his anchor point to catch the soldier in peril. He looked at the young man's close-cut hair and fairly short stature, in one instance recognizing him as his comrade Connie.

 _"You alright?"_ He asked, still swinging through the air, his brown hair flowing like water.

 _"Yeah, thanks for the save!"_ Connie replied as Lucius pushed him outwards to give him momentum. He knew with the bruises from the grab he'd need a few minutes to re-orientate himself and to swallow a few painkillers. Moving fast and striking true, Lucius felled Titan after Titan with the remnants of the two squads, eventually culling the horde down to one final target. A fifteen-meter muscular build with long grey hair and a dead look in its eyes. He looked around, surveying his remaining comrades, in an attempt to try and find one capable of making a certain maneuver with him.

Fights involving more muscle-based Titans, such as the one towering before them, required stronger slashes to cut enough of the nape out. Even with his gear and a few tricks up his sleeve wouldn't guarantee the kill. Meaning that for safety and assurance, it would be better to strike with someone by his side. He continued to look upon the remaining squad members until laying eyes upon a young, fit and capable soldier with a long face resembling that of a horse.

 _"Jean!"_ Lucius called out hoarsely, his breath dry from having to shout out maneuvers.

 _"Yeah?"_ Said teen replied, panting.

 _"We've gotta go for the nape, me and you!"_

Jean nodded in response. _"You got it Lucius!"_ He shouted, firing off his cables while Lucius did likewise.

They both moved past the Titan, avoiding his palms and teeth before swinging around to either side of its head. In one fluid motion, they both released a sudden burst of gas, flying right past the monsters weak spot moving mere inches away from each other. They sliced at the monster's flesh as they passed by, and with one last cry of pain, the Titan fell down to the ground giving a deafening thud, its motionless body already starting to emanate steam. Lucius soon landed on the ground, beside his brown-haired friend, panting profusely. Only to be approached by the two remaining rookies from the near-decimated squads. One from Lucius', the other from Jeans.

 _"How did you do that move?!"_

 _"That was amazing!"_

 _"Well... There's not much to say."_ Lucius began hesitantly _"I learned that move from the old Levi squad, and afterward, I taught it to Jean. Simple as that."_

 _"Could you teach us?"_ The blonde haired scout asked.

 _"Maybe another time, for now, focus on switching out your gas tanks and blades. And be ready to move out at a moments notice."_ Said Lucius, prompting the scouts to raise their hands to their hearts in a salute before running to what was left of the supply station.

 _"Tsk... Asking for new maneuvers in the middle of a battle, what idiots."_ Jean spat out.

 _"Really? Once upon a time, we were fresh-faced rookies like them, don't forget."_

 _"Yeah I know, but still. You've gotta show some common sense."_

 _"I know. I know. But they look up to us now, we need to set a good example by being fair but firm."_

 _"Fine..."_ Jean said, defeated.

 _"Where's Connie?"_ Lucius asked, looking around.

 _"He's by the resupply station, grabbing painkillers for his bruises."_ Jean replied.

 _"Fair enough, we should probably get moving though. I've got a bad feeling about this."_

 _"About what?"_

 _"All of it."_ Lucius said. _"The horde's big, but we haven't seen or even heard from the bizarre Titans."_

 _"Bizarre Titans?"_ Jean asked, confused.

 _"You know, the colossal, armored and beast Titans. It's the section commander's idea to call them that."_

 _"Oh please, another name change?"_ Jean responded annoyed. _"First Eren's Titan, then the testing Titans, and now the..."_

 _"Bizarre Titans?"_

 _"I'm not calling them that. But what next? Will she start re-naming our rifles to 'rooty tooty point and shooty's?"_

Lucius couldn't help but laugh, earning a glare from his friend. _"You may as well get used to it, Jean."_

 _"The way this battle's going, I won't have to."_ Jean said grimly. _"By the time your group arrived, they'd taken out two of our squad, and in the process of our 'rescue', they took out one extra from both of our squads. We'll be lucky if any of us survive this."_ Jean looked at Lucius, expecting something optimistic like 'there's always a way' or 'keep your chin up', but instead he remained silent. _"Lucius, are you okay?"_ The brown-haired teen asked, but received no reply.

He instead looked to where his gaze was cast and saw exactly what had gained his attention. A seventeen meter Titan, taller than all the rest. With black eyes and a horrifying grin. But what stood out the most was the dark brown fur all over his body, making Jean realize exactly what he was staring at.

He'd heard rumors of the beast Titan but was only in that moment casting his eyes upon it for the first time. This amazement caused a lag in the two soldiers' minds, causing them to completely miss what the beast Titan was clutching within its palm. Meaning they only identified the boulders as he was hurling them straight into the gate. The projectiles impacted upon the wall, creating a thousand tiny cracks before the wall fell under the unbearable strain.

The deafening bang that resonated through the area finally snapped them out their stupor, bringing every part of their body alive. Lucius whistled for his horse and rode back to the supply station for his squad, Jean following closely behind him. Said squad members were on their horses ready for their orders.

 _"Lucius! Jean! What was that bang!"_ Connie shouted, a mixture of confusion and fear in his voice.

 _"The wall. The Beast Titan threw rocks straight into the gate."_ Lucius told him, causing Connie's face to darken and his fearful look to shift towards that of rage. Most of the squad including Lucius knew why. As Connie's village, Ragako, were believed to have been turned into Titans by the beast. Connie had vowed revenge, and Lucius couldn't blame him. After all, he himself declared revenge five years ago. However, even he knew that an uncontrolled bloodlust could easily get them all killed.

 _"Was the gate destroyed?"_ One of the rookies asked.

 _"Not fully, just the upper section. But we'd better move fast if we want it to stay that way."_ Lucius said, before hastily turning his horse around in the direction of the beast Titan. Taking him down had become the scouts' number one priority, especially after the Utgard castle attack. It was more vital now more than ever they ended that threat to humanity. With his squad behind him and absolutely everything to lose, Lucius gathered all the breath within his lungs and the resolve in his soul, shouting out a single cry for battle.

 _"Advance!"_

* * *

The ride took several minutes, but the squad was finally within view of the towering beast. Its brown fur catching the sunlight and all of their attention. Lucius and the others readied their gear, taking note of the elite squad already engaged in combat. Lucius gave his gear a quick blast of gas, thrusting him straight forwards. He, along with his squad, surged straight towards the monster. However, the beast Titan caught sight of their advance, resulting in a second volley of boulders being hurdled. This time aimed straight at them.

They all tried to dodge, and most were successful in their efforts. Most.

Unfortunately, the barrage came too fast and too strong for one of the rookies. One of the massive rocks slammed straight into her, most likely crushing her ribs and bones like a tin can. And before any of them could react, the boulder impacted against the ground. Crushing the young woman against the earth, spraying her red blood all across the grass.

This lit a fire within the remaining scouts, coursing anger through their veins. Lucius moved fast against the monsters leg, slashing its leg in an effort to cut through. But looking back, the soldier felt nothing but despair upon seeing that its damned hair had absorbed most of the blow.

The rest of the squad tried but likewise produced unfruitful results, before landing beside each other with grim looks on their faces. _"Damn it!"_ Jean cursed. _"We can't even get a scratch past its fur!"_

 _"Any ideas Lucius_?" Connie asked, standing warily next to his squad-mates. Lucius racked his brain for any kind of a solution, before remembering that he'd planned for this eventuality with Hanji and the R&D department.

 _"Connie, take this!"_ Lucius said, throwing Connie what looked like a bottle with a rag and an unknown substance inside.

 _"What do you want me to do? Drink it?"_ Connie asked, confused.

 _"No."_ Lucius said, lighting a match before placing it upon the rag. _"I want you to throw it. The fire will burn his fur, I've got just enough on me to take it down."_ He said, passing out the firebombs before placing the cloths within them. As they were all taking the bottles into their hands, placing a burning match against the makeshift fuses one of their fellow soldiers landed beside them. A garrison member, about in her twenties with grey hair and glasses.

 _"Rico?"_ Lucius said.

 _"Yes?"_ She panted. _"If you've got an idea now would be a very good time. My squads stopping the beast from taking down the wall but that's about all we can do. It's too tough to kill, even for us."_

 _"We've got a solution, but I'm not sure we have the numbers to pull it off."_ Lucius said. While the firebombs plan would definitely work, they'd require at least five of them to burn away enough fur. While he was carrying enough of them for the job, there were only four of them left to attack it. They'd have to burn in sync to work properly.

 _"Pass me one."_ Rico demanded, clearly catching onto his train of thought.

 _"Ok."_ Lucius replied, passing the garrison member his last remaining firebomb. _"Rico, Connie, you two go for the legs. Immobilise the bastard before he has a chance to move. Jean, you and the rookie slice at its arms. Stop any more of those damned boulders from coming. Leave the nape to me, I'll strike when the time's right."_ He said before he and the squad started dashing straight towards the towering beast. And just in time as it seemed, the elite squad were all running dangerously low on gas and energy. Their sluggish movements would surely have gotten them killed.

The group dashed forward, giving their gear a quick flush of gas to propel themselves into the air. Before the beast could even react, they'd managed to completely surround it. Rico and Connie lobbed their firebombs, the flames singeing the monster's hair in seconds. He cried out, thrusting back most of the squad. Though it did little but slow them down. The next wave of firebombs landed on his arms, burning the fur and leaving his limbs hairless and exposed.

Lucius saw his chance and deploys the last firebomb, striking against the neck of the monster. It burnt away his hair but didn't destroy the nape or the human inside. The soldier realized that task had fallen upon him.

He moved towards the Titan, forcing it to thrust its left arm towards him in a futile defense. Lucius dodged it easily, seeing a golden opportunity as he moved. Using his forward momentum, the scout traveled along the beasts arm while spinning his blades at an inhuman speed, cutting along his arm like a human fan blade. The beast cried out in pain, prompting Lucas to swing around his body towards its exposed nape.

However, before he could land his final strike the monster spun around and, with its right hand, slapped him out of the sky like an insect. Lucius hadn't even hit the ground before the beast started running for the hills. There was no time to celebrate, however, as Lucius knew that falling to the ground at his current speed would prove fatal unless he acted fast.

He pressed his gear's stiff triggers inward, releasing a sudden burst of gas behind him. This slowed the soldiers' descent just in time. He hit the ground hard, moving into a roll that lasted a good few seconds. When he picked himself back off the ground the bruises already started making themselves known. The soldier winced sharply from the pain, falling onto his left knee.

 _"Lucius! You ok?"_ Connie called, running towards him.

 _"Yeah! I'm fine."_ Lucius said, before reaching his feet and pulling out a bottle of painkillers.

 _"That's good and all, but the beast ran off before you could kill it."_ Jean said, ever the pessimist.

 _"Fair point, sorry about that by the way."_

 _"Come on man! You made the bastard run scared, that's an achievement by anyone's standard!"_ Connie said. While Lucius couldn't deny it, there was still the elephant in the room. He had a shot to kill the beast, only to miss it. The only positive he could think of was that they could now focus entirely on the wall's defense, instead of hunting the beast.

 _"Let's roll. There's probably gonna be another flare any minute now."_ Lucius said, before whistling for his horse.

 _"Mind if I come with you?"_ Rico asked. _"It's obvious you're down a squad member, and it would probably help if I lent a hand."_

 _"Sure."_ Lucius said. Knowing that missing a squad member left a huge hole in their capabilities, and Rico clearly held the skill to at least keep up with them. _"Gear up, we've got a job to do."_

 **A/N: Sorry if the build-up with the flashback seems slow, but this is the current way I'm trying to set the scene for the main story. Hope it's ok!**


	3. Chapter 3

Attack on Titan 2: Another way chapter three

 **A/N: Sorry the flash back's still going, but it's coming to an end this chapter.**

Lucius felled another Titan, hearing the carcass' deafening thud as it fell to the ground. He surveyed the nearby terrain and much to his delight, the surrounding area was finally clear. Ten minutes of hard labor left them all in a better place. Since the beast had moved on, they'd slowly become more at ease with the reassurance of him being gone. Hopefully for good this time.

 _"Lucius!"_ Connie called out to his comrade as he landed beside the soldier. _"Another signal flare's just popped up!"_

 _"Green, red or black?"_ The scout asked.

 _"It's only green... But it's really deep into the formation. We'd best move quickly, it could be near commands main position."_

 _"You're right. Let's move!"_ Lucius shouted, returning to his horse among the other squad members' mounts. They were soon riding off towards the flare, this time only taking a mere few minutes to reach its position.

When the group finally reached the flare they observed how three abnormal Titans had recently started to take down a frontline base and were attacking a small squad, much to Lucius' dismay. He raised his legs to crouch upon his horse, ready to push off the leather saddle into battle. But before he could begin to fight, one of the battling squad members' faces jumped into his view.

The scout recognized her face and red-brown hair instantly as she flew through the air. In one moment, their bodies went rigid as they looked upon each other. However, that soon changed when one of the Titans she was fighting plucked her out of the air, encasing her waist within its grasp. It was only when Sasha's screams of pain filled the air that the scout realized their position.

For an instant, Lucius shifted into a moment of panic, yet emerged towards the Titans with a look of pure rage. He shoved off his horse, ignoring the earlier bruises' remnants that screamed at him from across his leg. His gear released a large burst of gas, moving between the fifteen meters legs at lightning speeds. Then, using the titan's pelvis as an anchor point, the soldier flung himself high into the air. But the enraged scout didn't stop there, because soon after reaching a sufficient height, he attached an anchor to the monsters nape and pulled himself back down towards his target with anger and adrenalin coursing through his veins.

As he heard the hissing of gas and felt the wind through his hair, Lucius retracted the anchors and readied his blades for a rotating slash. The swords' sharp edges soon cut true, taking the majority of the Titan's neck with them. The corpse started falling to the ground, but its grip didn't lessen around Sasha's slender body. It looked bleak at that moment as if fate destined that she'd be crushed under the monsters' hulking mass.

But her comrade swooped to her aid just in time, slicing at the monster's arm that held her in place. With all his might, Lucius thrust the useless piece of flesh holding Sasha out of the main corpses way. Just in time, before the carcass fell onto the earth, the ground quaking from its arrival. The young man then ran towards the vice-like hand that held his friend captive before beginning to hack away at the fingers around her.

 _"Lucius?"_ Sasha said, confused and dazed as he continued to tear her free. _"What are you doing here?"_ She asked.

 _"We promised to look out for each other, right?"_ The soldier replied before cutting her free and then thrusting his hand outwards to pick her off the ground. _"And here I am."_

 _"Thanks."_ Sasha said, smiling as she took his hand, gripping it tightly as her friend pulled her up. Before they could say another word, the remaining Titans were soon upon them. A ten-meter behemoth and a seven-meter crawler, grasping towards them in an attempt to gain an easy snack. But this time around, Lucius and Sasha were ready for their attack. They flew out of the Titans' paths, dodging their reaching claws before swinging around to face their backs.

In one fell swoop, they moved down on the monsters' necks, slicing deeply into their flesh and cutting their weak spots into pieces. Though their cuts were more ragged than their standard. The scouts controlled their descent, landing squarely on their feet before observing their handiwork.

In the space of a few minutes, they'd managed to clear the area around the base in a single attack. Though they hadn't gotten off completely scot-free. As during the skirmish, both Sasha and Lucius had gained bruises and several shallow cuts. Sasha from the abnormal grip around her waist, while Lucius had strained himself in his movements from putting too much weight on his belts.

As things stood, they only had one pair of painkillers between them, only because Lucius had the foresight to carry an extra bottle. The scout took the pills out his pocket before handing them to Sasha.

 _"Here, there's not many left but they should do."_ He says, opening the lid and pouring the remaining pills into her hand.

 _"But what if you need them? These could mean the difference between life and death!"_ Sasha says, confused and almost frustrated by Lucius' decision.

 _"Don't worry, we'll find another bottle later. For now, though, you take priority."_ He says, his voice fair but firm, clearly deciding against back down.

 _"Fine."_ Sasha sighs out of defeat. _"Just... take it easy until you find more ok?"_

 _"Fair enough."_ Lucius says, walking towards what was left of the supply point while Sasha consumed the pills.

 _"How's the base looking, Armin?"_ He asks the blond, said soldier clearing away a piece of debris.

 _"Had you arrived thirty seconds later the base would have been in splinters."_ Armin replied, looking towards the base. It was in a sorry state, the wooden panels covering the interior were either cracked through or torn clean off their steel supports. The metal frame holding the pieces altogether had been chewed in some areas but bitten clean through in other places.

One more bite or scratch would surely have caused the entire thing to come crashing down.

 _"Sorry we couldn't have come sooner, maybe the base would be in a better shape."_ Lucius apologized, feeling the responsibility fell on his shoulders

 _"It's not your fault, they shouldn't even be this far in, the elite squad were supposed to be covering this area. Now look at what's happened."_ Armin said, grimly. Had the beast Titan not appeared out of nowhere Rico's squad would have been able to hold the area, but now the base lay in ruins. _"Any more word on the bizarre titan's yet?"_

 _"Not yet, but things are likely to escalate here now more than ever. I'm heading to the gate entrance now, see if there's been any news from the other squads."_ Lucius said, turning towards the direction of his squad.

 _"Got it, we'll cover the area here."_ Armin called out as his friend went off to once again re-join the fight. Ordering Rico and the rookie to stay and assist the base repairs while the rest of the squad flew into battle.

* * *

Five minutes later, Lucius' squad finally arrived at the gate with its top portion still completely blown off, the pieces and remnants shattered into dust and debris. Luckily though, the lower portion was still intact. Were it not for the Titans' inability to climb, the district behind it would have turned into a warzone by now.

Before they could assess the situation, however, the group heard a massive explosion emanate from behind the closed gate, like a lightning bolt had struck. The soldiers recognized that oh so familiar sound though, as it was a signal for the arrival of either humanity's savior or its untimely demise. The group took towards the sound with great haste, climbing the remnants of the wall with their gear to reach the possible threat within.

Their hearts sank as they looked into the walled city, their eyes glancing upon the enormous form of the Colossal Titan, emanating steam and walking towards the near-ruined gate. They were all forced to suppress an abundance of rage coursing throughout their bodies, for they knew exactly who dwelled in that monsters nape. Someone they once called a comrade and at the scouts best their friend. But after realizing the truth, the only thing they could ever call Berthold again was a traitor.

Before they could begin their attack, though, they were joined by the scouts elite unit. Eren, Mikasa, and the legendary Levi.

 _"Hey brats, is your jobs to stand around and stare with open mouths?"_ Levi rhetorically asked the group. _"Unless the answer happens to be yes, then prepare to get moving. If that thing reaches the gate, it's curtains for everyone. So get your shit together, and start cutting at the ankle muscles."_ Levi said harshly, before charging off the wall and into the valley of death. With the rest of his squad right behind him.

They move alongside him with speed and haste, soaring past the buildings and surroundings at inhuman speeds. Using their grappling hooks, they move in to attempt slashes at the monsters left supports. Mikasa and Levi spin their blades against the Titans flesh, while the rest of the group attacks in swooping motions from above.

Save for Lucius, who instead had a sudden epiphany as he spun towards the towering beast. He started realizing that there was no reason to pick between a rotating slash and using the swoop technique. He instead had the idea, why not use them both? To attempt them at the same time could spell disaster though. Combining the dangers of crashing to the ground with complete and utter disorientation, it would seem like a bad plan for the inexperienced. Most likely ending in the soldier becoming a red stain on the ground.

But Lucius knew he was anything but a typical soldier.

He maneuvered himself above the right Achilles heel, placing his fingers upon the triggers before shooting himself straight towards the monster. Then, retracting his lines, the scout moved his body sidewards, evolving gradually into a spin before picking up speed. As the velocity of the turns began to increase, it took every ounce of Lucius' being to stay focused on his target, and to not vomit.

His efforts were rewarded with a satisfying sound of blades slicing deep into Titan flesh, along with a cry of pain from his helpless target. He maneuvered away from his target to survey his handiwork. And was far from disappointed. His blades had taken a massive chunk of the heel with his strike, accomplishing the amount of damage a whole squad can achieve in one single strike.

But judging his work would have to wait, as the colossal Titan responded to its lost mobility by bringing its muscular hands down onto the houses beside him. Luckily empty, courtesy of the prior evacuation. And in a defensive measure, the flesh of the colossal titan started to burn away releasing an aura of fire-like steam. Knocking back the majority of the small squad, including Lucius and Mikasa. However, before Bertholt could attempt another strike upon the group, Eren recovered his strength, rushing head-first towards the nape to deal a final killing blow.

Yet before he could land a single strike, a second figure emerged from the steam, carrying Bertholt out of striking distance before biting deep into his hand's frail skin covering. The teen's blond hair and muscular build instantly gave away his true identity. Reiner Braun formerly ranked 2nd in the trainee corps. But as of recently, known as the armored Titan. Enemy of humanity, and a known threat to the walls.

Before anyone could attack, move or even react the traitor was surrounded in a bright flash of lightning, creating an armored husk around their target, enveloping him within an impenetrable shield of sturdy flesh and rock-solid armor. Untouchable to anyone on the outside. Just the thought of Reiner could make Lucius' blood boil, but the fact that monster was standing protected and just before him made the scout want to break all bounds, to fly straight at him screaming, to impale him with his swords over and over again.

Yet before he could strike, the Titan revealed himself to not just be carrying two former comrades, but three. Because when Reiner exposed his hand, the sunlight glinted against an enormous gem-like stone. The size of a horse, shaped like a blunt thorn and covered in tiny cracks here and there. None of that mattered to the squad though, rather who was concealed inside the crystal prison.

Her blonde hair, MP jacket, and closed eyes caught the suns beams as the Titan holding her began to run, sprinting straight towards the gate with the teen in the palm of his hand. For a moment, it looked like the Titan was going to bust straight through the gate but luckily started to climb the wall instead. Lucius had no time to ponder why instead choosing to focus on scaling the gate, pursuing the monster.

Just as he was pushing off the gate, Lucius heard a cry of rage fill the air before a blinding flash appeared in the air. He recognized the cry instantly as Eren's, looking up to see the transforming Titan envelop Eren's body ready for battle. It soon fell to the ground with an earth-shattering quake, letting out a roar that signaled to the enemy their end was nearing.

Eren threw a strong punch, catching his opponent off-guard before throwing a second punch into his jaw, knocking him down to the ground. Before he could keep him down, however, the armored Titan sprung back to its feet as he rose his hands into a fighting stance. Returning Eren's attack, the armored Titan moved on the offense. Using its indestructibility and strength against both the rogue Titan and the survey corps.

But watching the fight, Lucius remembered how they'd almost beaten him the first time around. Mikasa had cut across the back of his knee meaning there had to be a weak spot somewhere on the monster. So Lucius moved against the monster's flesh, searching for an opening before finding his weakness, just before moving against an opening opposite his elbow, carving his sword deep inside the arm while removing large amounts of muscle in his strike.

Before the Titan could even react, Lucius was already placing himself for another slash, moving in at high speed with the rest of the survey corps following his lead. Cut after cut, soon lowering his strength down to a mere fraction of the monster's strength. In that moment of weakness, Eren saw his opening as he thrust his fist deep into the Titan's face. Sending it crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.

Landing beside the target, Lucius looked upon his enemy as anger coursed through his veins. 5 years of revenge started to become unbottled within him. Though before he could strike, Armin moved into his path stopping his attack before it could even begin.

"Getting Annie out of here takes top priority! I know this isn't ideal, but we just have to deal with it..." Armin pleads before moving to the still cocooned Annie. Leaving Lucius alone with his hands shaking and mind circling, wondering whether there was some way to kill Reiner and still save his friends. With no option open, Lucius reluctantly turned away from his chance at revenge to instead his goal.

Several rope lashings and ties later, the crystal was finally secured onto a low-bed cart. And not a moment too soon, as just before clearing the districts outer area a horde of Titans swooped in out of nowhere, following closely behind at an alarming speed. Presenting the survey corps with a worse-case scenario. With their enemy's increasing speeds and lack of opportunities leaving them with only two options.

One: leave Annie behind, which for everything they did to capture her wasn't worth it.

Or two, leave someone behind to occupy the Titans.

It was a frightening thought, one that shook Lucius to his core. But it was the only way. Meaning someone had to step up, or at least be stepped up. Eren was out of the question, both being unconscious and humanity's last hope kept him off the menu. Mikasa wasn't going either, as Lucius knew they'd need every strong soldier in the fight. Armin too for that matter.

That left Jean, Connie, Sasha, and Lucius himself. Jean moved too offensively, meaning he'd focus more on trying to win than trying to survive. Connie had the speed, but could never formulate any strategies to last long enough. Meaning only two remained; Sasha and Lucius. Both with incredible instincts and remarkable agility. But there was no way in hell he'd let her become Titan chow.

All that was left was him, not even in the top ten but easily strong enough to last it out. So as the Titans continued to near, Lucius placed his tattered journal beneath Eren's palm, before rushing straight towards the monsters behind them.

He moved using what little gas he had left, using the trees and the Titan's themselves as anchor points. felling the Titans strategically to lure the maximum amount into his area, keeping them away from the cart. Hurdling himself through the air, he continued to fight and fight refusing to accept his fate.

But one Titan ended that hope, swatting him out of the air and onto the floor below. Breaking both his gear and ribs in the process. Resulting in him standing at the foot of a horde, with his chest burning in pain, with no escape in sight.

* * *

 _'Don't light the fuse. Don't light the fuse.'_ Lucius thought weakly as the memories faded away before he started to see a blinding light. For a moment he believed it to be heaven, before realizing that in death at least his ribs wouldn't feel like they were on fire. He opened his eyes, beginning to take in his new surroundings with worry and anxiety gripping his mind. Only to find he had nothing to fear.

Looking at his surroundings, the crisp white sheets, the curtains surrounding his left and right, and the general cleanliness that could almost make Levi smile hinted at him his location. It was a hospital of sorts, though he couldn't say for sure which one. He tried to sit up and better observe his situation, before falling back into his bed with a grunt of pain.

Of course, he'd almost forgotten his broken ribs, and his stomach felt practically empty. Though at least the drip he was hooked up to kept him from shriveling up like a prune. All he could do was lie there though, too weak to call out or hell even make a sound. Luckily, a nurse happened to be walking past and looked at his lying form, weakened beyond relief.

 _"Good morning sir, how are you feeling?"_ The nurse asked, smiling while she took the notepad from the foot of the fallen soldier's bed.

 _"I...I..."_ Lucius tried to say, but his vocal chords screamed at him as he tried to even mutter to the lady.

 _"It's ok. You're really dehydrated, so you probably won't be able to talk properly for another few days. But in the meantime, you'll need to drink plenty of fluids, ok?"_ The nurse asked, prompting Lucius to weakly nod in response. _"Ok. I'll let your friends know you're here, they're down in the lobby waiting now."_ The nurse said, starting to walk off.

But Lucius weakly grabbed her sleeve as she began to leave, making her look back at her weak patient. The teen pointed to her notepad before the woman hastily handed it over to him. The soldier wrote down on the back of the paper, simply putting _'how long?'_ before setting the pad down again.

 _"The battle happened twelve days ago. Your friends found you the day before yesterday, after which you've slept for two days straight."_

 _'Wait? Ten days straight in a Titan's stomach?'_ Thought Lucius as shock and surprise soon took him over. _'How the hell did I survive that long?_

 _"I'll get your comrades now. Keep the pen and paper, you never know it could be useful."_ She said, before walking off presumably to his waiting friends.

Leaving Lucius alone with only his thoughts. Enveloped in a mixture of both relief and guilt. Relieved to, well obviously, be alive but unable to shake regret from what he'd probably done to his friends. They will have grieved for him, maybe even cried out at night for their lost comrade. Would they still consider him a friend after everything he'd put them through? To feel like they'd lost a comrade forever only to have him appear and say 'surprise! I'm alive!' like nothing had ever happened.

Before he could ponder the questions any further, the sound of fast-paced running derailed his train of thought. Hitting the ground in a constant stream of steps heading straight towards him, soon stopping just outside his small little sanctuary. The maker of those sounds was a young woman who had red-brown hair in a messy ponytail with a long slender face, whose cheeks were playing host to slow and steady streams of tears.

Sasha was standing just at the foot of his bed, almost crying her eyes out before him. All he could do was weakly smile before she wrapped him in an embrace coupled with the sounds of sobbing and weak tearful hiccups. Lucius used what little energy he possessed to hold her close to him. Finally feeling a warm happiness that he hadn't felt for what seemed like an eternity.

Soon he saw several others reach the entrance to his bedside, sporting a few tears and sad smiles of their own. Connie, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, Eren, and Historia were all there. Resulting in Lucius pouring out a few tears of his own. And as they all looked on him, standing by his side, the scout finally felt a warmth that was missing from his life.

He was finally home.

 **A/N: So, the flashback has ended. Meaning now we can focus entirely on the future from this point.  
Now, I'm going to update this story once every month from this point forward. And that's a vow I intend to keep!  
Again, sorry if you feel let-down about having to read a two-chapter flashback, but from this point it's pretty much all  
future stuff from this point on.**

 **See you some time next month!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four.

 **A/N: Just a heads-up for anime watchers, there will be spoilers for season 3 for the next chapters. Best wait until the first few episodes are out before reading. I'd hate to spoil anything for you guys.**

The days soon started to fly after Lucius was found, the scouts outside the hospital had continuously worked on their base like bees in a hive. Not because they were preparing for an expedition, no, but rather due to a certain issue plaguing the regiment. It was a classified order for military eyes only, but knowing the paper's lust for the news, word would be out within the week. Hence why Sasha and Levi ended up spending their Saturday sat in a hospital cafe waiting to see their comrade. Hoping their news hadn't already leaked out.

It wasn't the fanciest of places, but the staff were always welcoming both to the patients and visitors. The food wasn't half bad either, meaning that Sasha practically melted when Levi told her not to order anything. But he at least let her order a cup of tea, on the condition she drank it quickly and quietly. They were both strapped for time as it was, and couldn't waste it 'having a tea party' as Levi had phrased it.

The two had downed their tea within a minute and were left to sit down at the table alone with their thoughts. Meaning Sasha had nothing to do but replay the events in her mind of the following few days, often smiling to herself upon finding a particularly good moment.

The previous day things had gone... quicker then she'd liked, the two only talked for about half an hour before Lucius had to go back in for surgery. His ribs had fractured and broken during the fight and several other bones were believed to have been affected, though later turned out to be fine. At least as far as she knew. Still, the surgery had taken several hours with several more used up while he slept. Still exhausted from his ordeal by fire.

Hopefully, that day would prove to be more fruitful by giving them some extra time together. Especially since he would finally be able to leave his bed, having spent the previous two days lying down

 _"Brat, are you even listening to me?"_ Levi asked his companion before she snapped out of her stupor, regathering her thoughts.

 _"S-sorry. I was just..."_

 _"Stop apologizing and listen closely."_ Levi said sternly before Sasha started listening in. _"You need to realize that Lucius has been through hell and fire to try and stay alive, so no matter what don't say anything that could trigger his memories."_

 _"But... Now he's out, won't he start feeling better?"_ Sasha asked, almost confused.

 _"You don't understand. Lucius was stuck in that Titan's stomach for over a week, and from the reports, it was filled to the brim with corpses. You were in Trost with the rest of the 104th and have a clear understanding of what it's like to see a body. Now imagine that 24/7, non-stop looking at decaying bodies. Makes corpse duty look like a summer picnic in comparison."_ Levi stated grimly, to which Sasha couldn't help but feel unsettled from. That much horror, for so long, there was no way he'd be the same after that.

 _"Do yourself a favour, and try to brace yourself just in case. The Lucius we lost may not have been the one you found."_

 _"S-sure..."_ Sasha said, struggling to speak or add anything to the conversation, before remembering a certain point she had yet to meet. _"About our... small problem. Could I be the one to tell him?"_ Sasha asked the corporal, before she started to feel a pair of eyes watching from behind her.

 _"Tell me what?"_ She heard a masculine voice ask, from about the same level she was sitting. Slightly laboured, like he was in pain. The teen spun her head around to look upon the soldier seated before her. She found herself unable to cover her mouth in shock as tears started to line her eyes. Almost unable to look at her comrade.

For one point, Lucius looked exhausted. His pale skin and weak smile gave him away easily. Clearly lacking energy. He was also in noticeable pain, with one hand rubbing his chest over his broken ribs along with the coat of sweat tangling his brown hair together. But what made the scene all the more unsettling was his choice of seat. Unlike the wooden chair she had been sat on the past few minutes, his was made of metal. Using a pole structure and wheels. The kind of chair that usually meant you could never walk again.

 _"You ok Sasha?"_ He asked, a small smile on his face as he lay against his chair. Yet the only thing Sasha could do was not cry her eyes out as he sat before her. The teen fell to her knees and embraced him for the second time that week. Unable to stop any tears from flowing, she cried slowly into her comrades shoulder before he returned the affection.

 _"Sash... What's wrong?"_ He asked, almost as if he wasn't worried. Almost happy. Sasha couldn't help but think it sounded like he'd already accepted his fate.

 _"Lucius... Your... Your legs."_ She whimpered out as they clung onto each other.

 _"What? Oh... You thought..."_ Lucius said with a sheepish look on his face, resulting in Sasha meeting him at eye-level with tears down her cheeks.

 _"Thought what?"_ She asked confused, her voice wobbling about.

 _"I kinda forgot to mention the wheelchair's just because my ribs need to set."_ He said awkwardly, as Sasha started to stop crying. _"I'm not gonna need it forever or anything. I'm sorry, I should have pointed that out."_ The teen said, staring down at his feet unable to look her in the eye.

 _"You're... Such an idiot..."_ Sasha said, removing a hand from around Lucius' neck to re-angle her friend's head, making it look at her direction. Lucius couldn't help but expect some sort of slap, but was more than happy to see her bearing a small smile. _"You really had me there, didn't you?"_ She said, giggling slightly before it started to grow into a full shaped laugh. Said laughter proved to be infectious as Lucius started to chuckle and cheer along with her. They ended up laughing together for several minutes straight before it started to die down.

 _"Are you brats finished yet?"_ Levi questioned, having been silent throughout the whole exchange.

 _"Something wrong, captain?"_ The sitting brunette asked as he removed his arms from around Sasha's waist. Picking up on the irritation in Levi's voice.

 _"Just... Finish chatting while I fetch another tea."_ Levi said as he walked towards the front desk, leaving a space open for Lucius to pull up his wheelchair.

 _"What's wrong with him?"_ Lucius asked as he shifted his body off his wheelchair and onto a chair.

 _"He's just... Stressed I think."_ Sasha contemplated as she sat opposite her friend.

 _"_ _About what?"_

 _"It's... a long story. It's probably best we explain it together, as I only know about half the details."_ Sasha said while her companion looked on in a confused state, about to ask another question before Levi appeared, taking his seat opposite the two soldiers.

 _"Now listen up, I've got lots of details to explain and I'm not gonna repeat them twice."_ Levi ordered bluntly, gaining both Lucius' and Sasha's attention. _"Since we fought the beast Titan and his allies, things have gone from one fuck-up to another. The first one being that about five days after the attack, the scout regiment was ordered to suspend all expeditions beyond the wall. Effectively locking us in."_ The captain continued as his subordinates looked on.

 _"And just the next day, we received an order from the capital to more or less hand over Eren and Historia to the crown."_

 _"What!?"_ Lucius said loudly, shouting for the first time in weeks before realizing his surroundings. Making sure to lower his voice to a whisper. _"Well... it's obvious we didn't go through with that plan, as they been here several times in the last three days. And you haven't taken them already, because if you had they would've told me by now."_ Lucius pointed out, raising a small eyebrow on Levi's face.

 _"Good to see your brains haven't turned to mush along with your insides kid."_ Levi commended, though visibly gaining a small stare from Sasha. _"And as you said, the other regiments spoke out with formal protests to the capital along with the civilian population. Probably thanks to Eren's efforts in Trost and our battle earlier this month."_

 _"But there's no way they'd just back down for over a week straight."_ Lucius interrupted. _"They would have just taken them by now."_

 _"They probably would have."_ Levi acknowledged. _"But about a week ago, two days before we found you, a member of the public was murdered inside of scout HQ. After which we moved Eren and Historia to another site and they've more or less kept their distance since."_

 _"Who was murdered?" L_ ucius asked, inching himself forward at the same time looking hesitantly away. Like his mind wanted knowledge but was scared of the truth all the same.

 _"Minister Nick."_ Levi dryly stated, his posture and tone unchanging while his comrade's breath became trapped in his throat. Lucius had known the minister since before Trost, they'd talked and such several times in the past. The minister on civilian events and Lucius on more military matters. He'd even bought him a book detailing the history of the walls once. It just didn't sit right with him that he was gone.

 _"What happened to him?"_ Lucius asked after a few seconds of silence that seemed to last an eternity.

 _"According to the MP first squad, he was killed by a group of robbers looking to steal his valuables. Or at least that's what they claimed."_ Levi spat out, clearly not buying a word of it.

"But he never believed in valuing material possessions or relics, save for his necklace, and he never had anything of value on base." Lucius pointed out, recounting several of his memories in the process.

 _"How do you know that?"_ Sasha asked, having been silent for several minutes.

 _"I knew the guy a little bit, and helped set up his room when he moved."_ Lucius replied.

 _"How did you-"_

 _"Before you two start playing twenty-one questions you should know I still have more info. Or should I just go and order another tea if you're bored."_ Levi asked, scowling at the two.

 _"Sorry captain."_ The two apologised, before Levi re-started his explanation.

 _"As I said, the interior first squad were the ones to carry out the investigation. Pretty abnormal for an interior detachment to handle business in Stohess, wouldn't you say?"_ Levi rhetorically asked to which his listeners nodded in response. " _Plus the fact that Hanji noticed the two had very sore hands. Which were nothing compared to the missing fingernails on the ministers hands, or the bruises on his face. Almost as if someone was trying to get information."_ Levi pointed out, as Lucius' eyes widened in realization.

 _"So.. what you're saying is..."_ Lucius gasped out, unable to finish his sentence.

 _"Yes... The first interior squad interrogated and killed minister Nick."_

* * *

Lucius tossed and turned in his bed late at night. Internally groaning as he found himself unable to locate a position that wasn't either awkward or pushing against his ribs in pain. Resulting in several hours of unfruitful tossing and turning. It had reached the point of becoming unbearable. Forcing the teen to just lie there, spending time just recounting experiences from earlier. The small conversation with Sasha and Levi before they'd left, the hug and handshake he'd received as they left, and the unshakable loneliness from his solitude without them.

So instead of suffering any longer, the soldier pushed away his bedsheets and shuffled towards his wheelchair situated by the bedside. He painfully lowered himself down to rest on the leather seat, his arms burning under his own weight before he unlocked the wheels. He pushed himself out of his small cubicle and moved down the corridor towards the café. Hoping for a small bite to eat, having been in constant hunger for over a week straight left him constantly wanting food.

Lucius continued towards the opportunity for nourishment, but stopped in his tracks as he reached the intersection between three separate corridors. Though his eyes could barely see anything in the darkness, his other senses seemed to heighten in response to the lack of vision. To the point he could smell the disinfectant on every surface and hear the all-consuming silence surrounding him. But that silence was being shattered more and more as the sounds of footsteps emanated down the hallway to his left.

He initially assumed it to be a pair of doctors, or maybe nurses going for a break. But he could hear that the footsteps moved with too much speed and too little volume to be of a doctor. He knew the technique being used, having been forced to practice it during his cadet years that while useless in the fight against Titans, made more than enough difference against his fellow man.

There was something unsettling about the way they moved, while most would have presumed they were simply being considerate he knew they would do no such thing. The movement caused large strain on muscles, and could only be used in short spurts by most.

Meaning they were moving for something that shouldn't have seen them coming. A target.

He rotated himself to face his route, wheeling himself carefully back down his route in hope of finding a place to hide. Internally thanking whatever God existed that his chair didn't squeak out his movements. By luck's chance, he happened upon a hiding spot. A doctors supply room. Containing cleaning alcohols, scrubs and more equipment.

Before he could consider their usefulness, the teen heard the footsteps become extremely close to his location forcing him to dart between the hanging robes on the wall. Using them as a makeshift camouflage for him and the chair. His heart pounded against his chest as he drew in shaky breath after shaky breath, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the strangers would pass him by.

But that hope was shattered as the door opened, giving access to presumably a man, with a muscular build and a height similar to his own. But with his ribs in their current state, Lucius stood no chance of fighting back. If he was spotted, the mystery man would beat him to a pulp with minimal resistance.

All Lucius could do was sit there, and remember Levi's warning from earlier that day which he wished he'd heeded.

 _'The only thing keeping the MP's from taking both Eren and Historia is you. When they come to visit, the first squad can't touch them. The amount of witnesses makes it impractical for them to strike. But should they choose to target you... Nothing will be able to stop them.'_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five:

All it took, was a single movement. Lucius knew that much, but still couldn't believe that a life filled to the brim with action and excitement would depend upon an ability to stay stoic and unmoving. If he moved for even a second while the stranger looked on he knew it would be curtains for him. The figure's head and eyes seemed to point towards him as his heart pounded in his chest, to the point he could feel a pulse in his ears.

 _"Come on you idiot, that's just a supply closet. Our target isn't gonna be prepping for doctors work anytime soon."_ A masculine voice whispered from outside the jarred open door, turning the unknown man's head outwards before giving the room one final glance over. All the while Lucius fought every sensation in his body screaming at him fight or flight. He knew either action would result in his death.

Until eventually the stranger left the room, closing the door behind him with an audible squeal. Walking away down the deserted hallway along with his colleague, all the while Lucius tried his best not to cry out, bringing his sweat-covered hand against his mouth. Only to feel a small stream of tears fall along it. The teen wiped the salt water away before wheeling himself from behind the doctor's robes that had saved his life.

He'd brushed with death twice in however many days, and Lucius couldn't help but feel internally destroyed as he realised how close he'd been to meeting the grim reaper.

He thrusted those thoughts deep down, realising his sanity depended on it and instead lit a small overhead lamp before searching the room. Hoping for anything that could even remotely aid his escape. Lucius was lucky enough to spot a small flare gun resting on the second shelf, most likely in the event of a Titan attack. And after several seconds of strained reaching he found the signal device to be loaded with a single flare. In combat scenarios, flares were usually as useful to scouts as a chocolate teapot. But in a life or death scenario, any weapon was better than none.

His luck didn't end with the flare gun, though, as a small idea slowly crept its way into Lucius' mind while he looked upon the doctors robes. In order for it to work, though, he'd need to reach his feet.

The soldier locked the wheels on his chair, before pushing himself up utilising the arm supports by his side. Panting heavily as the pain stabbed his ribs like a thousand tiny needles. Eventually he reached his feet, though, slowly limping towards the hanging robes before hoisting one on his shoulders. It wouldn't have stood up to a robust inspection, but the makeshift disguise would have to do.

He tried to find a mask that would work with his alter ego, but instead started eyeing a small bottle of aspirin and some anaesthetics in a see-through cupboard. He reached out for them, stumbling heavily along his way before propping himself up against the wall.

For a moment, Lucius considered one of the stronger painkillers in the cabinet, wanting to try and alleviate some of the harsh burning in his chest. Before disregarding the idea entirely. If he was to escape alive, he'd need to keep a clear head. And for that all his senses needed to stay working. Including the pain receptors. The brunette didn't say no to the aspirin though, taking two tablets from the bottle before dry swallowing them. Causing some mild discomfort before he was finally ready to go.

But as he walked towards the door, Lucius saw someone out the corner of his eye. He turned around, aiming the flare gun forward in a firing condition. Or as close as the teen could get without falling over in pain. Until realising that he was aiming at his own reflection. It was the first time Lucius had even seen a mirror in weeks. However, the teen didn't even recognise himself anymore. He looked like a different person, a broken person.

His light brown hair was a barely organised mess, mostly covered in a sheen of sweat. And his once muscular body had visibly shrunk from a lack of nutrients, even under his robes. Like he'd shrivelled up without the sun. But Lucius' slender face was easily the most unbearable for him to look at. His blue eyes were bloodshot and weak, struggling to stay open during the night's events while the black bags underneath showed the reason was easily a lack of sleep.

What attracted the most attention though was a decent sized scar, a deep cut that Lucius hadn't even noticed. More than likely earned during his 'escape' from the Titan horde. It was a jagged line that ran from his right temple along his cheek reaching to just above his chin. Said chin was slowly being covered by some of the teen's falling tears.

How? How had he changed that much in just a few weeks? It took all of the teen's remaining energy not to break down and cry, all he could think of was how he'd slowly devolved into... whatever he was at that point. It wasn't the same Lucius looking into the mirror that had fought weeks earlier. He never would be, ever again.

Lucius moved outside the door, wiping away the tears as he took a few stabilising breaths on his way out. Pushing the fears and insecurities rattling around to the back of his mind. It was best to face his demon's later, not when the teen's own life depended on his next move.

At least he could make a decent guess as to why the men had wanted him dead. The unicorn crest on the man's jacket said that at least. It was more or less like the standard jacket, except the animal's mane and horn were more pronounced than on the standard emblem. That gave the pair away as not only being military police, but that they were members of the interior first squad. Coming in to pay Lucius one final visit.

The thought still chilled Lucius' spine by the time he'd reached the lobby. Moving in a crouched position using the same techniques his would-be assassins had used earlier. It seemed he at least had the benefit of an empty exit. The light of the day gone from sight, leaving the room in pitch black. Not a soul at the desk or by the doors. Meaning the area should have been completely silent.

But there was no rest for anyone in the hospital that night, not after the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence. Penetrating the air from the direction of Lucius' room, hinting to the soldier that the war had come back to him once again.

And this time, it was personal.

* * *

Several minutes before the peaceful night was disturbed, an unusual pair sat inside a concealed carriage just outside the hospital. While most of the weary souls in the district slept undisturbed, they were wide awake looking directly towards the entrance. Ready to move at any notice, they had strict orders to wait for the right opportunity to strike.

But one of the pair had continued to grow restless with each passing minute. To say she was eager would have been the biggest understatement of the year. Much to the dismay of her waiting partner, rolling his eyes what seemed like every few seconds at her continued antics. She'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity since the young soldier was found.

It still felt like yesterday, a messenger had burst into her tent during a briefing with sweat on his brow and uniform. He'd told the higher-ups, including her, that the scout's vanguard had found an elite soldier from the interior battle a week prior. Lucius Balreag, one of the best the military had to offer, as far as she knew at least. Though he'd failed to rank in the top ten, the scout was proving to be a skilled and disciplined soldier. Someone the regiment sorely needed.

Upon the soldier's admittance to the garrison-run hospital, the pair had begun their preparations to get him out of the hospital and away from the public eye. Looking up building blueprints, making note of guard patrols, checking garrison unit response times. It was almost like planning a heist, but instead of stealing money their precious cargo was a human being.

But two hours before the pair could unleash their master plan, their host organisation found out the MP's first squad weren't exactly playing things as 'kosher' as they'd believed in the past. A pair had been dispatched to eliminate the soldier, for reasons they could all guess at that point. They were under orders to kill, anyone and anything that got in-between them and the target.

Unfortunately, due to an unfortunate series of events, the two were forced to observe the premises and wait for the soldier to exit in a game of cat and mouse. The twist? Two cats were fighting over the same mouse. It was simply a matter of who reached him first.

At least until a single gunshot penetrated the air, more than likely waking up everyone in the district along with most of the facility's guards. Causing the once-sitting pair to bolt out of their carriage, hoisting balaclavas over their faces on the way out. Incognito, unrecognisable. That was simply the way it had to be. If they were recognised, any hope of their plan working would die along with them. They couldn't be identified.

For both their sakes, and for their target's survival.

* * *

Lucius' first instinct after the gunshot was to run straight for the door, to get the hell out of there with his life. But he dismissed the idea as quickly as it had appeared. His former 'sanctuary' was a mere two minutes away from the lobby, which for his broken body would have taken five. Taking that into account along with his current condition left him stuck in a metophorical storm.

At least he had an umbrella. Or in this case, a flare gun.

All he had to do was shoot a single round. The chemicals in the flare would blind the pair, even if it only bought him a few minutes. It would give the teen enough time to escape, or at least find a garrison member who could lend him a hand.

With that in mind, Lucius crouched behind the receptionist's desk and strained his ears listening for anything that could hint his attacker's location. All the while his ribs continued to scream out at him despite the aspirin's supposed effects. The excruciating pain continued to eat away at his stamina, slowly draining away any hope of getting out of there alive. A few more minutes would surely leave him unconscious from the pain loss, if the intruders didn't hurry he'd be left defenceless at their feet.

Ironic, his life depended on his attacker's ability to track him faster.

But luckily, fate decided to throw Lucius a bone as the teen started to hear the same dreaded sound of footsteps coming down the halls. This time around, the attackers had abandoned their stealthy approach in favour of a more blunt arrival. With a flurry of thumps and stomps screaming across the hallway as they ran towards him.

The teen looked out from his hiding place, glancing upon the intruders that scurried their way towards him. Lucius raised his flare gun, his hands shaking with a mixture of pain, excitement and fear. All different emotions blending together with a flow of adrenaline to turn him into a desperate mess. The soldier constantly breathing in panicked gasps as he adjusted the flare gun's aim.

He only had one shot, if he missed the only result would be his untimely demise at the hands of an unrecognisable pair of killers. With his muscles lying dormant for so long and his senses clearly dulled left him with the same strength as a drunk weasel at best.

No, he had to take the shot and hope to God it would hit its mark. The reward at stake was his life, and the penalty left him with a surely painful death.

Holding his breath, the teen fired off into the darkness with his single flare. Praying that whatever God made him would give the soldier some luck. And luck he received. As before the two could even raise their weapons, the leading pursuer cried out in pain as the flare connected with his torso. Burning into his clothes and flesh, and also filling the hallway with a dense black smoke that rivalled that of the darkness.

It proved to be just as effective, as the teen edged his way towards the exit the would-be assailants groped at the air as they tried to orientate themselves to the environment. Completely blind, courtesy of the smoke's thick haze. Lucius continued towards the closed door, the pain in his chest growing with every step he took towards freedom.

Pulling open the door, Lucius looked back hastily to try and guess how much time he'd gained from his little stunt. But to his dismay, one of the attackers had cleared his make-shift smokescreen and had set his aim in Lucius' direction. The teen hurled himself to the floor as a deafening bang blew inside his eardrums and a flash of light filled the hallway.

When the teen reached his feet, he looked around his surroundings hoping to find a make-shift weapon. Hand-to-hand combat would prove more than difficult in his situation.

But as he surveyed the lobby, the soldier couldn't recognise the room he was standing in anymore. The white walls were cracked and chipped, the paint singed off the very bricks they once decorated. A distinct burning smell filled the air around him. Looking down at the floor, Lucius saw the scorch marks leading away from a central point, as the penny dropped with a horrible clang.

He'd completely forgotten that traces of flammable gas mixed in with the flare's core components. That combined with the heat from his attacker's pistol to form a devastating explosion. Blowing the two pursuers into pieces and devastating the room.

The soldier was lucky to be alive.

Said soldier stepped out of the hospital that had sheltered him for so long, passing by a severed leg burning in a fashion similar to how a yule log would burn on an open fire. Eventually the only thing over the soldier's head was the moon. He was finally free, and the very thought terrified him.

There was no-one else around. No friends, family, or comrades. He was alone again. Only this time, at least he wasn't trapped, his friends were out there somewhere. Granted the group had moved location, but it would be child's play to find them again. It would simply be a case of where to look. He had to find them, at any cost, even if he had to fight an army between them and him. Lucius had survived too much and gone too far to give up. Under no circumstances would he let himself die without seeing his friends again.

"Where the hell should I start looking?" Lucius thought to himself as he looked down one of the many roads leading away from him, stretching away into the darkness.

"Maybe you should ask."

Before the teen could ponder the voice's word's, an arm extended around his neck and pulled him against a foreign body. The teen was quick to react though, delivering a strong elbow to his attacker's abdomen before running in the opposite direction. He barely lasted a few meters before falling to the ground. The pain in his ribs bringing Lucius to a halt.

He tried to reach his feet, but a second stranger stepped out from the darkness and placed the soldier in a headlock. He tried using his elbow like before, but this time the unknown assailant barely even flinched. Just continued to apply pressure to his neck. Slowly draining the oxygen from his system.

The light faded from his vision, as the teen slowly lost consciousness. Falling into the man's hold as he struggled to fight back. Before realising it was useless to resist. All he could do was try and pull his fading thoughts back together, remenicent on all the happy moments of his life. Before Shiganshina's fall, the cadet corps, his friends. No, his family. The times together in training that gave his life another purpose than just revenge.

He finally fell into submission, despite his body's every instinct screaming to try and fight. All the teen could do, though, was hope with all his heart he'd get one more day to live again. Before all he cpuld see was black.

Back in the darkness a second time.


	6. Chapter 6

Attack on Titan: another way.

Chapter six.

Darkness. Lucius had grown accustomed to seeing it blanket over his eyes, blocking everything from his view while blinding any sense of sight or direction. It always left him vulnerable, whether it be within a Titan's stomach, or stranded in the mysterious depths of night.

However, he'd never had to deal with such frightening disorientation at the hands of another human. That was a new experience for him at least. Though from the strength his attacker's grip had used, it was hinted the man wasn't taking that task for the first time. He'd probably taken people away from places before.

Whisked them away like plucking fish from a pond.

The lack of vision didn't last long, though, as within moments of Lucius stirring from his sleep a hand started gripping onto the hood blinding him, before swiftly pulling it away, exposing the soldier's eyes to his surroundings. The light blinded him for several seconds, until the teen started to see what was gathered around him.

The first thing he gauged was a set of binds around his wrists and ankles, keeping him attached to a worn wooden chair's arms and legs to which there was no hope of removal. He next noted the building's nature; it looked like a warehouse of sorts, with crates and supplies scattered across the floor. Though what carried more cause for concerns was the small group of people stood around him. Four men and a woman. All armed, wearing standard ODM gear and a military police first squad jackets.

But what jumped into focus last was what gave the greater worries. A glistening steel barrel, attached to a simple piece of wood, pressed against one of his temples already bearing a decent size scar. Said barrel would play host to a bullet should he become a threat, or fail to answer their questions to the letter.

Before he could react, though, a fist swung through the air and found its place against his temple, swinging with a force that jolted him fully awake. The attack gave him a sense of awareness coupled with a splitting headache. Before eventually readjusting to the world around him, unable to ignore the small party surrounding him.

 _"Maybe now he'll be a little more responsive."_ The man who'd struck against him suggested, said man appeared to be the strongest of the five. His toned muscles bulging against his shirt, displaying exactly what would strike against him should his lips remain sealed.

 _"Was that really necessary?"_ The woman of the group asked him, sending quick glances towards the single large window above the exit. Visibly showing that a sense of paranoia was slowly taking shape. Which Lucius soon found himself mirroring, as he looked around for any possible exit he could use. It made sense, they were both around the same age and in very difficult situations.

 _"She has a point. You didn't have to go for the scar, at least."_ Another of the men spoke, earning an eye roll and sigh from his burlier comrade.

 _"Lock it down. All of you!"_ The apparent leader snapped, silencing the group around him save for the occasional mumble. _"So... Let's see if he'll make this easier for us."_ He contemplated, lowering down to a squatting position as to look Lucius in the eye. _"What's your name?"_ He asked the teen.

 _"L-Lucius. Lucius Balreag."_ He answered, having figured out that the group already knew his name along with more probable info on him. Hence why he'd been carted off to God knows where. He knew they were just asking to test his co-operation, so there was no point in resisting them.

The last thing he wanted was to piss off the guys holding guns to his forehead.

 _"Well then 'Lucius', mind if I call you Luke?"_ He asked, with an almost playful manner that bordered on the disturbing.

 _"Only my friends call me that. And, no offence, you're far from one of them." The_ teen spat out, unable to hide the hostility in his voice. His temper took control while all sense of logic took a backseat, his exhausted state of mind temporarily forgetting the nature of his situation.

It was probably that which led to the brute of a man striking a second time against his temple, moving past his squatting comrade as he delivered a blow seemingly out of nowhere. Once again disorientating the teen, causing another headache to make itself known which created another excruciating flow of pain the second.

 _"Try working on your attitude, kid, a little friendliness goes a long way."_ The burly man instructed, a smirk on his face. Until the smirk was wiped away as he received a slap on his right cheek from one of his comrades. Turning the flesh red in pain, while the rest of his face followed suit by turning cherry red in anger.

 _"Damn it Scott! Show the guy some decency, he's just following orders!"_ The woman spoke, a fierce attitude taking over. Before she could protest further, or before the man could take another swing, the leader sent a glare towards the two silencing their disagreement, at least temporarily. The pair backed down soon after, taking a step backwards allowing their leader to continue.

 _"Now that that's over and done with, how's about we continue with our little conversation from earlier. **Before** we were so rudely interrupted, that is."_ He said, glaring towards the burly man who refused to look his boss in the eye. _"Anyway, we need to know information regarding Eren Jaeger and Historia Reiss. And just a heads up, if you don't answer us then we'll have no choice but to make you talk."_ He spoke, a mixture of playfulness and aggression mixed together in an unnatural tone. Like the man was trying to play good and bad cop at the same time. _"It's just how things are, nothing personal."_

 _"Well... For all you know I could be a Titan shifter."_ Lucius bluffed, raising a few eyebrows and widening several gazes. _"How else do you think I survived beyond the walls for so long? Without gas, no less. So maybe you should undo my restraints before I chew you up like a cheap pack of gum."_ The teen threatened his kidnappers; a small part of him hoping that the bluff would buy enough time to find a make-shift exit, or maybe prevent the worst of their tricks. But to his dismay, most of the group barely reacted to his threat. Some bearing smirks as if it were a simple joke.

 _"Maybe... Maybe... But even if you are, you're not going to be triggering a transformation anytime soon."_ The leader said, before the man identified as 'Scott' stepped up a third time before the teen. Lucius expected another punch, but instead the attacker drew a gag from his pocket. Before he could formulate any resistance, his mouth was bound by the sweat-coated piece of cloth. " _In the meantime, we can get you a little more... talkative."_ The leader spoke as he gestured towards the burly man once again.

Lucius didn't know what to expect. The first two times he'd come towards him resulted in a blow coming his way. And the previous approach found him being completely bound. Unable to make a sound. He was completely unpredictable, which meant Lucius' eyes widened visibly when he pulled an object out of his back pocket.

It wasn't anything special or rare. You could buy it off the streets easily. But in the hands of those wrong in mind, a steel mallet could inflict a lot of damage.

 _"You can only transform if you break the skin, right?"_ The squatting man rhetorically asked before he continued with a monologue that Lucius would have brushed off as annoying, if it wasn't for the mix of fear and adrenaline that plagued his system. _"So, that means... So long as we only cause damage **under** the skin, you'll be stuck playing a weakened disgrace of a soldier."_ The soldier spat out, taking the hammer into his hands with a strong grasp and moved it to hover mere inches over his left hand. As his comrade removed the gag for a mere few seconds.

 _"Where... Are Eren and Historia hiding?"_ The man asked, with a tone and expression screaming danger. _"Give me the answer I want, or you won't be using your precious ODM gear any time soon"_ He warned, looking Lucius in the eye with an intimidating gaze that was clearly working.

There were very few times in the teen's life when he was rendered completely speechless, but that moment was slowly finding its place amongst his worst. All he could do was wait for the hammer to connect with his hand. He closed his eyes, unwilling to see another injury implanted into his body. Only to flinch as he heard steel pound against flesh with a sickening crunch.

Then the pain flooded his hand, before overflowing into an agonising scream of pain. Filling the room with sound and ringing several sets of ears in the process.

 _"Stop it!"_ A feminine voice shouted causing Lucius' eyes to bolt open despite the pain, to witness that the hammer had been transferred to the woman who had protested earlier. The only problem being that all her comrades had shifted to oppose her, save for one. A soldier about her and Lucius' age with short brown hair, who instead stood slightly behind her.

 _"Alex. Give me the hammer, now."_ Scott said, glaring at the two as he reapplied Lucius' gag.

 _"No! I can't watch you do this anymore!"_ She cried out in desperation to the group, while Lucius looked on confused. Before he eventually broke out of his stupor, taking a glance at his hand to try and assess the damage. Only to see his left pinkie's bone unnaturally cracked beneath the skin. He looked away from the injury, instead focusing on the pair before him.

 _"Listen kid."_ The leader said, having risen from the squatting position to stare at the two. _"You're just a newbie and can't possibly understand what it is we're doing here. The desperate times call for desperate sacrifices, meaning that sometimes we have to give up our humanity, so that the greater good can reap the-"_

 _"Greater good. GREATER GOOD!"_ The red-head shouted out, her face displaying what could only be described as pure rage. _"You want to torture an innocent bystander, someone only following orders, for the GREATER GOOD!"_ She yelled to the group, defiantly holding the hammer behind her back while Lucius did all he could not to escalate the situation further. Be that crying out or talking.

 _"LISTEN TO ME, BRAT!"_ The burlier man shouted out, taking a step towards the two while said teens flinched at the movement. " _If the world ended up in scrawny hands like yours, we'd become extinct overnight! So hand that over to someone who has the balls to make a change, or the only people getting broken bones around here will be you!"_ He yelled to the two, the man's face turning a dangerous shade of red as his clenched fists moulded to white from the pressure.

 _"Listen to him Alex."_ The leader pleaded, using a calm tone that had been alien from conversation far too much, at least in Lucius' opinion. _"Hand it over, and we won't mention this to any of the higher ups. This can stay between us, if you just come over here."_ He offered, outstretching a hand outwards towards her in co-operation. An attitude Lucius would have killed a Titan horde in order to hear.

 _"You know I can't do that, John."_ The woman replied, hiding her visibly shaking hands as her friend looked on in fear.

 _"Screw this."_ The burly man said as he fell down on one knee, the rapid ascent that followed was accompanied by an unmistakable sound of metal scraping metal. It was only when Lucius saw the knife that his mind fully embraced the danger of his situation.

He raised the knife over his forehead, while the teen clenched his eyes shut a second time, awaiting another flooding of pain. He didn't have long to wait, as a gut-wrenching sound of steel penetrating flesh filled the room, followed by a deep bellow of pain.

Yet this time around, it wasn't Lucius screaming.

Instead, the teen's eyes widened as he saw the same bulked-up man no longer holding the knife. Instead, he had a decent-sized arrow stuck into his wrist. About forty-five centimetres, though he couldn't care less about its size. Just the fact that it was implanted into his arm.

A third scream soon filled the warehouse, as another arrow flew through the air before meeting its mark on the leaders chest. As the middle-aged man staggered backwards, he cried out in pain all the while blood gushed out of the wound like a fountain. Until eventually all cries were silenced as a second arrow found its way through his skull to meet the man's brain.

He fell to the ground with a small 'thud', while the other four looked on. Until they eventually snapped out of their daze, as the burly man called out to the ones firing the shots, using more cursive than most thought existed. Whilst the two defiant teens attempted to flee, before an arrow struck the ground before them. Halting their escape, as the stronger of the four was finally taken down with a bleeding gunshot wound in his stomach. Staining the man's shirt red with his own blood.

That left three of the military police standing. And while two decided that resistance was futile, dropping the hammer and raising their hands in surrender, the final man had other plans. Instead the soldier took his pistol, aimed with an unusually firm grip despite the sweat-covered palm it was placed in, and placed the barrel once again against Lucius' temple.

 _"Stay back, you bastards! One move, and he's dead!"_ The man cried out to the shadows cast by the towering boxes. A mix of terror and ferocity coating his voice like poison and spice.

 _"I think you mean one move and **you're** dead."_ A male voice called out from the darkness, before its speaker revealed himself from one of the down-cast shadows.

He appeared to be in his thirties, with jet black hair styled in an undercut. With a blank expression staring down the gun barrel towards the group. His uniform bearing a pair of wings that gave the man away as Lucius' ally, but he doubted the MP's knew how important the man was. How he'd fly into battle like a lightning bolt, leading the charge not from the safety of command but the adrenaline rush of the front line. Despite the deceiving nature of his height.

The MP's would be royally screwed against captain Levi, and the teen knew it.

It seemed that the two younger enemies had at least a scrap of common sense as they knelt against the ground, hands placed against their heads in surrender. Though their comrade lacked the ability to recognise an ambush in his weakened state. As the man raised his pistol, knowing he had a single shot to hit the target. Else his life would become forfeit. But the scout fired faster than he could aim, as a bullet pierced between his eyes creating an unmistakable bang, followed up by an audible crunch as lead broke through bone.

The final attacker crumpled to the ground, his white hair turning red as the blood trickled down his forehead and onto the exposed scalp. While the remaining two looked on in horror, their eyes darting between the corpses, and the scouts standing/sitting before them. Until eventually Levi spoke to the room.

 _"So... Looks like it isn't everyone in the first squad trying to kill us. At least we have that on the table."_ He said to the room, before he looked around towards the shadows surrounding them. _"It's all clear now, feel free to show yourselves."_ The veteran addressed the room, before several figures emerged from the darkness.

About five scouts in all, three in which Lucius recognised. One had jet black hair similar to the captain's, with a height and age not far off Lucius'. Another was older, her hair tied up into a bun behind her head. With bands holding glasses to her forehead flowing just below it. Two other's had come along, rookies Lucius hadn't had the opportunity of meeting yet.

And yet, it was the fifth figure that caught the teen's attention most. Also bearing a ponytail similar to the brunette beside her, yet her hair was a beautiful blend of red and brown. Her eyes filled with a chocolate brown that showcased her visage alongside her slender face and thin eyebrows. Though her usual smile was missing, instead the girl looked concerned and melancholy. Visibly holding back tears in front of the group.

 _"Ackermann, you guard the perimeter and make sure our window for escape is still open."_ Levi ordered the raven, before said teen hurried off towards the door. Slamming it shut behind her. _"Vater, Gibson, restrain those two and take them with us when we leave."_ He ordered the rookies, gesturing towards the surrendering MP's before turning to the final soldiers awaiting orders. _"You two help Lucius. He looks like shit, and could probably use a few words."_ The veteran ordered Hanji and Sasha, before walking over to help the rookies take away their newly found MP 'friends'.

Whereas Sasha and Hanji rushed forwards before Lucius, as the red-head removed the teen's gag before gripping her lost friend in a strong embrace, almost cutting off his circulation entirely. Unable to stop herself from sobbing.

 _"Sasha... Are you... Feeling ok?"_ The teen asked his friend, while she continued to gently cry against his chest.

 _"Why... Why do you keep doing this?"_ She asked him, to which Lucius found no answer.

 _"I don't understa-"_

 _"Why do you keep ending up like this? You rush into the fray, risking life and limb without realising what you'd be leaving behind."_ She cried out, the tears falling onto her companion's shoulders. _"I've almost lost you... Twice. What happens if you don't come back, what do I do then?"_ She asked, looking the brunet in the eye before continuing. _"Do you think I can just carry on without you?"_

Lucius froze at the question, unable to think with a purely logical view. All different emotions kept coursing through his system. Anger, guilt, shame, loss, hurt. Love. All blending together in an unrecognisable mess of feelings. Maybe it was that which made him take the leap, or it could have been that longing for something more the past few weeks in isolation.

All of that stitched itself together in one single action, as Lucius lent as far forwards as he could from his chair. And planted his lips against Sasha's. It was only a simple brush, to which Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. Even more tears flowing before Lucius began to explain himself.

" _I'm... I'm so sorry I put you through all that grief. I know what it's like to lose someone, and I've seen enough death to know there's no easy way for accepting loss. But I'm back now, for good. I made you a promise several weeks ago, and I will keep that if it kills me. Because I... I love you Sasha."_ The teen confessed, letting loose his own floodgates as tears of pain and joy flowed down his face. _"I always have. I'm not sure if that's how you see it anymore, but that's how I see it. How I see you."_ Lucius spoke with a sense of finality, finally satisfied that his secret had been exposed for the world to see. Whether or not that evolved into something more, was anyone's guess.

Luckily though, no-one had long to speculate. As the red-head leaned forward and responded by taking the teen's lips in her own. Putting much more passion into the second go around. Deepening the kiss as the folded her arms around the teen's neck. To which Lucius responded by leaning against her as he succumbed to his love. Before she eventually broke away for air.

 _"I... Always figured you felt the same way."_ She said, a smile returning to her face. _"I was just too chicken to ask you."_ The red-head stated with a chuckle, taking the teen once again into an embrace. Luckily for him, the effects of aspirin still enhanced his system lowering the pain in his chest. Save for a few needling sensations here and there.

 _"Me too, Sash. Me too."_ Lucius responded, wishing that he could return the gesture. Luckily though, Hanji seemed to step in at around about the right time.

 _"Well... I hate to break this beautiful moment, but we should probably untie Lucius right now."_ She suggested, pointing to the restraints tied around his wrists and ankles. _"Unless, you're into that kind of thing, Braus."_ She teased, turning both her and Lucius' expressions cherry red. Before the still chuckling woman lowered herself down to undo the teen's ankles. While Sasha freed his hands, though her breathing took a noticeable hitch as she noticed his smashed pinkie finger.

 _"Lucius, your... Your hand."_ She pointed out, hastily untying it to hold the extremity in her palm.

 _"It's not that bad. Some aspirin I had last night is dulling most of the pain."_ He told the teen, as she released his other hand from the restraints unforgiving grasp. _"Just don't expect me to play the piano anytime soon."_ The brunet joked, though his friend's laugh in response was visibly forced.

 _"You ok, kid?"_ Levi called out, having walked up to the three without a noticeable sound.

 _"All things considered, I'm actually not that bad."_ Lucius stated while he rose to his feet, before falling onto his knees in pain. Clutching at his still broken ribs.

 _"That's not the words I'd use."_ The raven-head stated while Sasha and Hanji supported their comrade to his feet.

 _"Lucius, I know you're probably eager to get back out there, but I think it's probably best that you relax and take it easy for a few days, while your ribs set again_." The scientist advised, as she walked towards the door with the teen in tow.

 _"Yeah, I guess you're right."_ Lucius agreed, trying to focus on the path ahead instead of his pain. Ironically, it seemed that because of how hard the pain receptors in his chest were working, his pinkie wasn't hurting that badly for him. A strange silver lining, but a welcome one all the same.

The group shuffled along towards the exit, but just before they made it a small set of thuds resonated throughout the building, followed by a series of clicks and clanks. The majority of the scouts recognised it, as the sound of a trigger cocking itself back.

 _"Ambush!"_ Lucius cried out, recognising in their moment of weakness they'd been surrounded.

Several bangs lit up the darkened sector of the room, as five bullets flied through the air towards the group. Hanji had the experience to duck, taking down both of the teens with her. While Levi had more than enough instinct and speed to dodge the bullets. Unfortunately, though, it seemed the two rookies had returned into the building to help. And resulted in them slumping to the floor, embracing the sweet release of death.

Before the group could grieve, or wait for their attackers to line up for another shot, Levi sprinted into the darkness with both his blades in hand. Moving towards where he'd last seen the group of flashes. Eventually meeting another human being, slicing against the target with a well-timed blow as he moved towards the next offender. Repeating the process with every target until he was met with one final enemy.

He moved in for a slash, but the darting figure seemed to not only match his speed, but trump it entirely. Firing several shots which Levi barely dodged, shooting shot after shot as humanity's strongest continued to move towards every flash that appeared in the darkness. Before the stranger moved out of the shadows to land between the shell-shocked scouts and their strongest soldier. Bathed in the morning's light, revealed at last to his opponents.

His gear was noticeably different to theirs, as his utilised a set of pistols instead of the usual swords. Little more than pea shooters against titans, but perfect for killing other human beings. He looked older too, but moved with strength and speed like a man half his age. His seasoned face gave away how many years he'd lived inside the walls, a grin plastered across it as he looked towards the lead scout. His black fedora blocking the sun from his gaze.

 _"Yo, Levi_." The man called out, his experienced voice the only sound breaking the silence except for the metallic clang of his barrels falling to the floor _. "You grown any yet?"_

 **A/N: So there we go guys, another player has entered the field. What will he have in store both for the scouts, and 'our man' for this arc?**

 **Now, I'm just writing to address two frequent questions I get in the reviews and PM's.**

 **1: Are you going to deviate from the main series.**

 **2: Is anyone major going to die.**

 **Well, as most people can tell this is pretty far from the original story. As you can already see, the Reeves company haven't come into play yet. At least, as far as 'our man' is aware. And we now know the MP's have thrown their hat in the ring. (Pun intended, I regret nothing!) So, you can expect the story to deviate from the original flow of events.**

 **As for the major deaths inquiry, well... This is attack on Titan, after all. So character deaths are sort of inevitable. But don't think you can just expect who** **lives and who dies. I'm shaking things up a bit, so some characters will come out a ok! Others... Not so much. I'll try not to twist the knife too much though.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you next update.**


	7. Chapter 7

Attack on Titan: Another way. 

Chapter seven.

Before anyone could move, the man restarted his attack. Once again firing at the group's captain in an attempt to add humanity's strongest to his kill list. Moving from the areas of cover to hiding in shadows, with every shot he fired along the way mere inches from striking Levi. To the point a bullet ended up grazing his left cheek, the dodge he carried out prior had failed in getting him completely to safety.

It at least stopped his brains from becoming a bloody mess on the floor.

But the dodge wasn't nearly enough to give Levi an edge. As while his team ran, or in Lucius' case limped, out of range, the man continued to move in and out of sight using the shadows as a masking camouflage. If it wasn't for the tell-tale flashes that filled the darkness every time he fired, the shots would have seemingly been fired out of thin air. It didn't help either that he moved with a strength and speed that almost rivalled the captain's.

Even when his only goal was to buy the group time to get outside, it was an uphill battle trying to manage the man's constant shift from offense to defence. Every strike he tried to make put him closer and closer to death. The constant flood of danger only put him further and further into the reality that blood would soon be spilled. The only question being whose blood hit the ground first.

 _"Looks like your instinct's still sharp, runt. I'm almost impressed."_ The man slyly said, though his sugar-coated insult did little to effect the captain.

 _'Just need to buy a few more seconds, then I'll have no choice but to bail.'_ Levi thought to himself, looking towards the window and door his comrades had used mere seconds earlier. 'All I can do is count on them putting enough distance between them and the building.'

They continued the skirmish, dodging shots and slashes as they each tried to land a blow on one another. For one of the first times in both their lives, they'd come against their greatest challenge yet. Fighting an enemy of equal strength.

It was anyone's guess who would end up winning.

* * *

His comrades didn't stick around to see the answer, though, as Lucius practically barged through the door and into the glaring sun. There wasn't time for admiring the morning view, though, as the interior first squad were guaranteed to be on their tails again; the moment the MP's caught wind they would be gone. Luckily though, Levi and Hanji had conceived the foresight to place a small cart by their exit, a single chestnut stallion at the helm while their new-found hostages were bound in the back.

Hanji took her place at the front, grabbing the horse's reins while the rest of the group took a seat. And without a word, started to set off towards the district city gate. Their best, and pretty much only option, was to retreat away from the city's hustle and bustle. Granted the area may have seemed like the perfect environment for ODM gear, but the same advantage could have been said for the first squad. And whatever... machines they were using on the scouts.

It chilled Lucius to the bone to think of humans killing other humans. For reasons he didn't entirely understand. For all he knew, the answer could have been everything and nothing. No... Probably not nothing. There had to be a reason why MP's kept shooting at him, it probably wasn't for any small grudge. He could tell that much. They'd been planning their little stunt, for a few days it had seemed. He couldn't ponder the question any further, though, as the same ear-splitting sound of a gunshot filled the air for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

Lucius felt like he'd end up going deaf by the end of the week.

Before any of them could gauge what was happening, a small group of MP's swooped in out of nowhere. A squad of five, all utilising the same gear that had already killed two of their own. A set of guns linked to a modified ODM set, near-useless for dealing with Titans. But for fighting humans behind city walls... It's like Christmas came early for them. (Do they have Christmas behind the walls?)

The group started to move in on the cart, alternating between firing off their hooks and taking pot-shots at the scouts. Luckily missing the group, but not by a large margin. It looked incredibly bleak for the group, with one teammate gearless and immobile for the most part still dressed in a hospital gown. And only one fighter available to fight back. It looked like the same scenario three weeks prior, except in that occurrence the roles had been reversed.

Sasha considered rushing the group, buying enough time for the group to escape. But soon dismissed the idea as she saw Lucius' condition. His blood-shot eyes and sweaty forehead setting off alarm bells in the red-head. If she left him, there would be no-one to protect him should an MP swoop in for the attack.

Without reaching a decision, though, one of the MP's saw an opportunity as he hit the gas on his gear, landing on the edge of the cart's rear with one of his pistols pointed straight towards the helpless brunette sat next to Sasha. She saw the murderous glare in his eyes, knowing full well what he was going to do. She didn't hesitate for a second, as she threw herself between her friend and the attacker. Ready to catch the bullet with her own body. As Lucius' breath caught in his throat.

Luckily for both of them, no-one took any damage. At least, almost no-one.

As before the MP could fire at the two sitting targets, he took a deep slash straight to his chest. Cutting into several internal organs through his skin and clothes, before he fell off the cart onto the street behind them. Staining the street red in several spots as he rolled across the cobble stones before coming to a stop. The pair's protector took a knee opposite the two inside the cart, looking back towards them. Her short raven hair flowing in the wind with her green cloak. Though her face was less of a marvel, as she bore an expression mixing together determination and annoyance. The chilling combination brought the hair on their necks against their shirts.

 _"Was there a reason you left me behind, or am I just bad company to you?"_ Mikasa asked the group, anger and spite filling her tone as she looked at them. Swords still drawn. Eyebrows turned down with a mouth shaped to a scowl. Terrifying the two, to the point Lucius almost thought he'd wet himself out of fear.

 _"W-we were... In a r-rush, and... F-forgot you were outs-side."_ Lucius stuttered out, knowing that to be on Mikasa's bad side meant you were in a very dangerous position. _"S-sorry."_ Lucius apologised, hoping to whatever Gods watched over them would keep her from castrating him.

Luckily, fortune seemed to favour the fearful that day. As before she could react, the oh-so familiar sound of wires scraping metal filled the air as the MP's once again moved in on the scouts. Looking for a shot at the cart. One of the group either brave or stupid, decided to try rushing the group. Not realising how badly it had gone for his comrade. Mikasa shot a hook into his abdomen as he descended, and the man was dead before he even had time to scream.

She didn't wait for him to hit the ground, as the raven-headed demon moved towards the remaining members with fury in her eyes and death latching onto her mind like a parasite. Forcing the MP's to retreat, moving away from the attackers swings consequently avoiding the cart. Losing the objective in their minds was a pleasant alternative to whatever their enemy had in store for them.

The cart's passengers didn't wait to watch the ensuing bloodbath, turning a corner as Mikasa continued to move in on her enemies. Eventually moving out of sight, as the group turned to face the gate directly before them. It was a perfect beeline, the easiest route in all of the walls. For once, Lucius thought his luck was beginning to take a turn. But ironically, a problem popped up right as the nightmare was about to end.

That problem was a woman, with shoulder length grey hair and green eyes. Flying towards the group, darting between the buildings to reach them. What carried the big problem, though was the unicorn crest on her back. Taking the opportunity, she landed squarely on the cart in a crouch before rising fully to her feet. Her left pistol outstretched, aiming right at Hanji's skull. Ready to kill the scientist without a second thought.

In that moment, time seemed to stop for the group. As Hanji sat there, unaware of the woman pointing a gun right at her brain. Said woman looked at her target, a small satisfied smirk creeping onto her face. While her two comrades looked on, their throats holding a frozen silent scream. All Sasha could do was look on, frozen with fear that her friend wouldn't get to fight another day. Luckily though, at least one of her allies seemed to know what to do as he eyed his comrades scabbard with interest.

A feminine scream soon filled the air, as blood poured onto the cart floor. Luckily for the survey corps, it wasn't the blood of their section commander. As the standing woman was clutching at her left wrist, looking at where her hand had once been. Only to see a bloodied stump, and her severed hand on the floor. As when she'd been basking in the glory of her first kill, Lucius had removed one of Sasha's swords and used it to take her hand.

The MP screamed in excruciating pain. But at the very least, she didn't have to endure it for very long. As Lucius once again raised his comrade's sword, and detached her head at the shoulders. Ending her life, while what was her head fell off onto the street behind them. Soon followed by her head-less body.

As the adrenalin wore off, Lucius looked back to his blood-stained hands as his breathing accelerated. He'd never actually killed another human being before, as the incident in the hospital was merely an accident. But now he'd taken someone with an albeit dark future, and ended any hope of her advancing in life. He'd murdered someone, without a second thought.

He slumped down against the edge of the cart, dropping his comrade's sword against the wooden floor of the cart. Before burrowing his head into his knees. Unwilling to look at the bloodied remains of the woman's hand lying in the small pool of blood it had once carried. In that moment, Lucius wished with all his heart that he could just go back. Go back to when things were simple. Or simpler at least. Being a kid in shiganshina may have been like a bird living in a cage, with the peace of mind like livestock, but there was one truth in moments like that which shut out that comparison entirely.

Ignorance. Was. Bliss.

 **A/N:**

 **I'm so, so sorry I uploaded late. My schedule started forming itself, to the point I didn't even know what was happening. My writing schedule cracked, along with so many other things. My sanity included. So I know I'm uploading a day late, but I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. I promise.**

 **Again, I'm really sorry. :-(**


End file.
